"It's important to note that" is one of the most recognizable chatbot phrases. It announces that a point matters instead of making the point. Its cousin is the stacked qualifier, "could potentially," "may arguably," which piles up doubt nobody asked for.
What it looks like
It's important to note that...
It's worth mentioning/noting that...
It should be noted that...
could potentially, may potentially, might potentially
Generally speaking, To some extent, In many ways, Arguably,
Why it reads as AI
Models are trained to avoid overclaiming, so they wrap claims in padding. The padding adds words but no information, and it makes the writer sound unsure of their own point.
Examples and fixes
BeforeIt's important to note that the API could potentially return errors under load.
AfterThe API returns 503s above about 200 requests per second.
BeforeGenerally speaking, it's worth mentioning that most users prefer dark mode.
After62% of our users switched to dark mode in the first week.
How to fix it
Delete the opener and start with the claim.
Pick one qualifier, or none. "Could potentially" becomes "could".
If you really are unsure, say why: "We haven't tested this on Windows."
When it's fine
Real uncertainty, legal notices and safety warnings are not hedging. "May cause drowsiness" is a fact about risk.
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