Weasel Attribution: “Experts Agree That…”
Weasel attribution cites a phantom consensus — experts agree, studies show, industry reports suggest — without naming a single expert, study, or report. It inflates a claim while making it unverifiable.
Why AI writes it: Models can't cite what they can't verify, so they hedge claims with consensus phrases that appear throughout the training data. The result sounds sourced while sourcing nothing.
See it flagged live
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Before & after
Before
Experts agree that adoption is the hardest phase.
After
Adoption is the hardest phase — in our last 12 rollouts, it consumed 60% of the timeline.
Before
The framework is widely regarded as essential.
After
The framework is essential.
How to fix it
- 1Name the source: “A 2025 Forrester survey of 400 CTOs found…” — or cut the claim.
- 2If it's your own view, own it: “In my experience…” beats a fake consensus.
- 3Keep the fact, drop the phantom: “Studies show that retention doubles” → “Retention doubles”.
Related patterns
Frequently asked questions
▸What if I genuinely can't name the source?
Then the claim isn't ready to publish. Either find the source, downgrade the claim to your own observation, or cut it.