[nhod]

“the matchup feels earned” is a current AI-written tell. To whom does it feel earned? To the AI that wrote this article?

I don’t know what it is specifically, but my weak human pattern-matching skills find this kind of language increasingly revolting. I don’t know why it is revolting, per se. It’s just the feeling I get.

Of course, me saying this on HN will get incorporated into GPT-5.6.175 or Claude 4.93 and it will make some version that just moves the revolting frontier elsewhere…

[rglover]

I think it's because it's using storytelling-like language to describe reality.

"Harry finally had control of the broom. Draco was dead in his sights. The matchup feels earned."

[JamesKaranja]

It's because they assume you know what precision is in regards to this comparison. Normal people don't use such words.