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TikTok gave us slang like rizz, while X popularized ratio and doomscroll. But according to new research from Florida State University, the newest force shaping language isnt a person or platform: Its artificial intelligence. In a peer-reviewed study published in the Cornell University archive arXiv, FSU researchers found that AI is influencing not just how we write, but how we speak. After analyzing more than 22 million words from unscripted podcasts, the team observed a surge in terms favored by large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s ChatGPT (delve, boast, meticulous, and garner to name a few), while use of their synonyms remained relatively flat. The researchers call this the seep-in effect or lexical seepage. Unlike slang spread by subcultures or mass media, this shift originates with an algorithm. In cognitive psychology, this is known as implicit learning, where recurring phrasing and word choices are unconsciously stored in memory. Likewise, language research also highlights a phenomenon known as priming, where exposure to specific words or syntax leads to an increased likelihood of using them later. In just a few years, the chatbots preferred vocabulary has moved off-screen and into daily conversation. AI may literally be putting words into our mouths, as repeated exposure leads people to internalize and reuse buzzwords they might not have chosen naturally, says Tom Juzek, a computational linguistics professor at FSU and lead author of the study. The deeper concern is that the very same mechanism could shape not just vocabulary but also beliefs and values. The study teamJuzek, Bryce Anderson, and Riley Galpinanalyzed 1,326 episodes of tech and science podcasts, split evenly between a pre-ChatGPT period (2019 to 2021) and a post-ChatGPT period (2023 to 2025). They drew on transcripts where possible, or generated them with OpenAIs Whisper model, resulting in a dataset of about 22 million words. They then compared per-million usage rates of AI-associated buzzwords against close synonyms to test whether shifts reflected ordinary drift or a distinct AI-style influence. It was important that this was unscripted language, so we focused on conversational showsLex Fridman, Radiolab, Ologiesto capture something close to spontaneous speech, Juzek says. We explicitly excluded sources such as conference talks or lectures, which are often scripted and may even be AI-assisted. He explains that LLMs dont inherently overuse buzzwords during pretraining on massive datasets. The effect arises later, during human preference learning. From what we know, raters tend to be young, so ideas about what counts as formal writing may vary, says Juzek. AI model fine-tuning involves tricky trade-offs to achieve usefulness, truthfulness/grounding, and getting high-quality preference data is expensive and hard to obtain. Humans often reward style over substance, so models may pick up polished buzzwords in the process. A similar study in Germany found near-identical patterns on YouTube, suggesting the phenomenon extends beyond American podcasts to other languages and contexts. Is AI Standardizing Human Speech? The implications reach beyond word choice. If OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google fine-tune their models differently, populations could adopt subtly distinct speech patterns. Experts warn this could flatten dialects, erase regional slang, and dampen creativity. While AI does reflect patterns already present, by amplifying and projecting the highest-value version of those patterns learned from millions of interactions, it dramatically shifts the balance of which language forms dominate, says Moti Moravia, cofounder and CTO of Leo AI. Even though you can set parameters for diversity, the main goal of AI models is to maximize perceived quality. While speech patterns have always evolved, today the shift is happening with unprecedented speed. AI Models like ChatGPT, Bard, and Claude are trained on billions of words through web scraping and are used by millions of people almost every day. If algorithms quietly prune our synonym choices, they could also be narrowing how we frame ideas. AI systems tend to magnify dominant language patterns, which speeds up their adoption in broader culture. Without continued human input, they could stagnate, replaying the past instead of adapting to the present. The result might be a creative landscape that feels out of sync with realityunless new frameworks are developed to prioritize originality. This is a terrifying future, but we still have time to change this and build in frameworks so that original human creativity is still rewarded, says Trip Adler, cofounder and CEO of Created by Humans. Likewise, Moravia argues that companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google will continue to chase higher benchmarks by training on the best data available, optimizing for the metrics they know how to measure. The safeguard, he suggests, is to establish a new benchmarkone that explicitly values diversity in language and beyond. Companies should be incentivized to optimize for more varied outputs in the way models speak. This would be a subtle yet powerful way to encourage AI systems to preserve linguistic diversity rather than unintentionally narrow it. Holding on to the Human Tone Juzek cautions that the rise in certain words doesnt prove AI is the sole driver. Many were already trending before 2022, and AI may simply be accelerating an existing shift. It took years before we understood the full mix of benefits and risks that came with social media, and I suspect it will be similar with AI models, he says. Conversations with colleagues tell me that this small tweaks snowball effect may be inherent to gradient descent, the optimization procedure at the core of how the models learn. Understanding that properly will require more foundational research. Looking ahead, he expects language change to accelerate. Some AI-favored words may fade, much like generational slang, but the larger risk is subtle homogenization. Culturally, this matters for trust and creativity, Juzek says. Sooner or later, that same uncertainty will reach spoken interactions, for example, phone calls. Arguably, face-to-face conversations remain safe for the foreseeable future.
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Work is filled with contradictions and disruptions these days, and the uncertainty can make the workplace feel like a constant emergency. As a result, people are stressed, pessimistic, and pulling back from their organizationsbut they’re not disconnecting from each other. Our new research shows that, even under tremendous pressure, employees are “quiet connecting”: helping each other regardless of what’s happening at the company level. Organizations would do well to recognize and strengthen these organic bonds because they can serve as a powerful counterforce to widespread employee disengagement. The Natural Ties That Survive Everything New research from meQuilibrium’s State of the Workforce Report reveals that people are truly showing up for each other through quiet connecting behaviors. Even as 55% of employees show signs of organizational disconnectwhat some call quiet crackingand 42% report high uncertainty-related stress, connections between colleagues remain remarkably strong. Among 5,477 employees surveyed by meQuilibrium (meQ), 71% regularly lend a compassionate ear when colleagues face workplace problems. Sixty-two percent actively help coworkers learn new skills or share job knowledge. Sixty percent dedicate time to advise, coach, or mentor fellow workers. Meanwhile, 53% pitch in to help overwhelmed colleagues with their workload. These aren’t occasional gestures; they’re consistent patterns of mutual support that emerge organically, without formal company initiatives. These instinctive helping behaviors are inherent even among the most disconnected employees. Workers continue showing up for their colleagues even when they’ve mentally checked out from their organizations and supervisors. The phenomenon persists across stress levels as well. Employees facing high uncertainty-related stress continue quiet connecting at nearly identical rates to their less-stressed counterparts. In some cases, stressed workers demonstrate slightly higher rates of helping behaviors, suggesting that quiet connecting may actually intensify as a natural response to organizational turbulence. How to Recognize These Support Networks Quiet connecting operates largely under the radar. It emerges through informal mentoring relationships, spontaneous knowledge sharing, and emotional support during difficult times. They’re the coworkers who stay late to help with a deadline and the colleagues who share expertise without being asked. Look for the employees others naturally turn to for advice. Notice who provides emotional support during workplace challenges. Identify the informal mentors who take time to develop others’ skills. This is quiet connection in action. The persistence of these behaviors reveals something profound about human nature at work. Even when traditional engagement metrics fail and organizational trust erodes, resilient peer relationships endure through quiet connecting. These strong lateral bonds may well buffer against the negative impacts of disengagement. How Managers Amplify What Already Exists The most effective approach isn’t creating helping behaviors from scratch. It’s recognizing and strengthening the quiet connecting that already exists naturally. The data shows exactly how this works. Managers who prioritize team mental well-being create environments where quiet connecting flourishes. Employees who report strong managerial support engage in these behaviors at significantly higher rates than those without such support, suggesting that managerial support amplifies natural quiet connecting tendencies. The multiplier effect is measurable. These supportive managers reduce their teams’ uncertainty stress by 37%. They also dramatically cut disconnect rates, from 78% down to 40% when managers actively support team well-beingeffectively reducing disengagement while strengthening quiet connecting. Empathetic management doesn’t replace peer support. Instead, it creates psychological safety that allows natural quiet connecting behaviors to expand and become more visible. When managers model collaborative problem-solving and openly discuss challenges, they permit others to do the same organically. The key is recognizing that managers already shoulder a substantial burden. They engage in these connecting behaviors at dramatically higher rates than non-managers78% versus 53% for mentoring and coaching, and 76% versus 56% for knowledge sharing. Practical Ways to Strengthen Natural Bonds Make quiet connecting visible. Create formal recognition programs that celebrate employees who support colleagues beyond their job requirements. Share stories of peer support in team meetings and company communications. By highlighting these organic connections, you can encourage more employees to do the same. Design systematic opportunities for connection. Don’t wait for organic helping to emerge. Implement volunteer programs, cross-departmental collaboration projects, and peer mentoring systems that give structure to natural supportive instincts. Train managers to nurture, not manage, peer relationships. Extend check-ins beyond task management to include conversations about well-being and stress levels. Provide mental health first aid training so managers can recognize when quiet connecting networks need additional resources and support. Strengthen managerial support systems overall. While managers are not therapists, they do have a direct impact on team and individual well-being. Evidence-based, comprehensive resilience training programs help managers strengthen their own well-being and support it in others. Toolkits can also equip managers to better support others. Address remote work challenges. Remote and hybrid workers experience 27% higher uncertainty stress than their on-site counterparts. They need these quiet connecting networks more than ever. Implement regular informal check-ins, virtual coffee chats, and structured opportunities for casual interaction that can facilitate organic peer support. The Foundation That Endures Our research reveals a profound truth about natural bonds in the workplace. While traditional engagement metrics show widespread disconnect and stress, human connection persists. Managers and employees continue creating informal systems that help teams survive and thrive during volatile periods. But leaders shouldn’t try to control these natural dynamics. Instead, recognize peer relationships and quiet connecting behaviors as vital organizational assets worth protecting and nurturing. Understand that the strength of these informal, organic support networks might be the most reliable indicator of true organizational resilienceand a critical antidote to the negative effects of employee disconnect. In a world where over half the workforce shows signs of disconnect espite traditional engagement efforts, quiet connecting may be the missing link, if we can learn to recognize it and strengthen it. The foundation of coworker connections is already there, emerging organically as employees self-organize around mutual support. It just needs the right conditions to flourish.
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Theres a mountain of evidence that having a sense of purpose is correlated with feeling happy. And while an inanimate object such as the moon cant feel emotions, humans have much to thank our natural satellite for in terms of its purpose. From the tides to seasons to gravitational stability, if the moon were a person it would no doubt feel pretty content. Even better, our moon is somewhat of an entertainer, putting on a dazzling display every few weeks that we here on Earth call the full moon. And this months full moon is no exception: Septembers “corn moon” will reach its peak illumination on Sunday, September 7. And if you are lucky enough to live in certain areas of Australia, Asia, Europe, or Africa, you will be graced with a total lunar eclipse. Even those who live outside those regions can enjoy the show, with a clever solution that bypasses both geography and weather. Read on to discover more about this months full moon and how to see it. How did September’s full moon get its nickname of the ‘corn moon’? The Old Farmers Almanac collected and popularized different names for the monthly full moons, immortalizing them in print. These monikers are apparently based on Native American, Colonial, and European traditions. Septembers full moon supposedly gets the title of the corn moon because this month is traditionally when corn was ready to harvest. Whats the science behind a full moon? Simply put, a full moon occurs when the Earth is directly between the sun and the moon, which means the entire face of the moon becomes visible as it is bathed in sunlight. The full moon is one of several lunar phases that mark the moons orbit around the Earth. While the full moon has a peak when it is at its fullest and brightest, it remains full to our eyes for a couple of days before it starts to wane. When is Septembers corn moon? Septembers corn moon will be at its fullest on September 7 at around 2 p.m. ET, according to the Old Farmers Almanac. That means the moon will be below the horizon, but it will remain full and bright to our eyes for a couple of days before it starts to wane. What is a total lunar eclipse? Colloquially known as a blood moon, a total lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes through the Earths shadow, also known as the umbra, effectively blocking out the light from the sun. Earths atmosphere filters and refracts the suns light, so although the moon doesnt become entirely dark, it turns a deep red or orange color. Thats because short wavelengths of light, like blue and violet light, tend to scatter more easily than those with longer wavelengths, like red or orange light. When, where, and how can you watch the total lunar eclipse? The upcoming total lunar eclipse will take place on the evening of September 78, depending on your location. It will last around an hour and 22 minutes, according to NASA. Skygazers located in Asia and Western Australia will have the best seats in the house for this natural phenomenon because they will be in the path of totalitythe zone where the eclipse is most visible. Other night sky enthusiasts in western Africa, western Europe, and eastern Australia and New Zealand will also get to see the eclipse to some degree. Unfortunately for moon fans in the U.S., a lunar eclipse is visible from half the Earth, and this one is not going to be visible from North America. But that doesnt mean the show will not go on. Space.com has your back and is hosting a free livestream and blog with updates of the total lunar eclipse, so you can catch the whole thing live despite geography and potential cloud cover. The website Time and Date is also covering the event. The curtain rises at 11:28 a.m. ET and totality occurs at 1:30 p.m. ET. The full runtime is 82 minutes. And never fear if you dont catch this one: The next total lunar eclipse that will be visible from the U.S. is set to occur on March 3, 2026. Happy moon-viewing! Perhaps thats your true purpose after all.
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