Y Combinator Partners Flag AI-Generated Startup Applications

The shift became undeniable during the most recent review cycles, according to YC partner Pete Koomen. After spending a week auditing entries, Koomen noted that the tone of applications has shifted drastically compared to just a year ago. Data shared by the firm shows that the use of the word “wedge” exploded from less than 1% in spring 2025 to over 20% by summer 2026. Similarly, the prevalence of em dashes—specifically those formatted with surrounding spaces—surged following the release of Anthropic’s Opus 4 model.

This pattern of artificial polish follows previous warnings from YC co-founder Paul Graham, who famously identified the word “delve” as a hallmark of ChatGPT-generated text. While founders have largely abandoned “delve” in their submissions, they have pivoted to what Graham describes as a “hard-hitting journalistic style.” This shift toward synthetic precision has left leadership unimpressed. “It feels like being lied to,” Graham remarked, noting that the unnatural cadence of these applications is a far cry from the authentic, direct communication previously expected from founders.