tropius is a CLI to detect AI tropes in prose.
How#
We use a pattern dictionary in TOML based on a trope list from Tropes.fyi
Text
↓
Aho-Corasick phrase matcher
↓
Structural, repetition, and character-class detectors
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Findings report
Usage#
Scan text from stdin:
printf 'Let us delve into this robust ecosystem.' | cargo run -q -p tropius-cli
Scan article text extracted from a live URL with lectito:
# Install lectito
cargo install lectito-cli
lectito 'https://www.solo.io/blog/what-is-agent-identity-human-workload-a-new-layer' \
--format text \
| cargo run -q -p tropius-cli
The CLI exits 0 when no findings are found and 1 when it finds trope signals.
It exits 2 for usage or configuration errors.
Color output respects NO_COLOR.
Coverage#
- an implementation path for every source section in
tropes.md - phrase patterns for literal trope signals
- structural detectors for sentence and paragraph shape
- repetition detectors for repeated metaphor terms and duplicated content
- markdown-aware detection for bold-first bullets
- character-class detection for Unicode decoration
Inspiration#
I got nerd-sniped on BlueSky
Samuel - @samuel.fm 2026-06-25 04:16
“Claudesmell” labeller for standard.site records wen
owais - @desertthunder.dev 2026-06-25 04:18
what does claudesmell mean here
Samuel - @samuel.fm 2026-06-25 04:22
smells of claude, e.g. short, punchy yet needlessly florid prose, excessive claudeisms, it’s not just x it’s y etc
owais - @desertthunder.dev 2026-06-25 04:26
You know that feeling of nerd-sniping about to happen? I gotta use aho-corasick + tropes.fyi in some way