Like “delve” before it, the humble “em dash”, often used to break up a sentence like so—is the latest hallmark of AI-generated text, particularly on platforms like Reddit. Data recently analysed showed em dash usage in some business subreddits, such as r/Entrepreneur, quadrupling in just seven months. This has triggered what some call the “em dash conspiracy.” Part of the suspicion seems to stem from a practical observation… many users confess they wouldn’t even know how to type an em dash easily. Surely, it’s the work of ChatGPT?
Takeaways: With study after study demonstrating current AI detectors are unreliable, inconsistent, and sometimes biased, this could be a useful detection signal. More importantly its obscurity and increasing prevalence is indicative of the lack of care taken when AI generated content is simply pushed out with no human refinement. Don’t be caught out and ensure there’s a “never use “—” (em dashes)” in your prompts or custom instructions!