Are LLMs Getting Worse at Writing? The Rise of Hyper-Dense Prose
Original_Swimming320 · reddit · 2026-08-06
A user coins the term "elelemese" to describe a frustrating trend in large language model (LLM) outputs: text that is hyper-dense, overloaded with meaning, and simultaneously bloated. It feels like reading through treacle, lacking the natural pacing and pauses that encourage reflection.
Using a personal example, the author shows how a simple, clear sentence about philosophical progress was rewritten by Claude into a bulky paragraph stuffed with specific academic references (e.g., Frankfurt, PAP) and complex clauses. The author argues that this shouldn't be mistaken for LLMs "evolving," but rather as a sign of terrible prose—evidence that models are actually becoming worse at writing.
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