{"id":105130,"date":"2025-08-23T21:25:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T21:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/105130\/"},"modified":"2025-08-23T21:25:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T21:25:08","slug":"busted-by-the-em-dash-ais-favorite-punctuation-mark-and-how-its-blowing-your-cover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/105130\/","title":{"rendered":"Busted by the em dash \u2014 AI’s favorite punctuation mark, and how it’s blowing your cover"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Let\u2019s talk about the em dash. Not the little innocent hyphen, not its slightly more confident cousin, the en dash. No, I\u2019m talking about the \u2018EM dash,\u2019 that long, dramatic line that AI looooooves to drop in your sentences like it\u2019s getting paid per dash. Seriously, it\u2019s the AI version of jazz hands.<\/p>\n

You may not notice it, but most everyone else does. It\u2019s the dead giveaway that you\u2019ve let your favorite robot sidekick dress your words up in AI drag, and just like a bad wig reveal in the third act of RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race, it can be\u2026 a little too much. Let me set the scene: You\u2019re writing a heartfelt email to your team. Something vulnerable, maybe even raw: \u201cI\u2019ve been thinking a lot about the way we work together \u2014 and how we can be better \u2014 not just as colleagues, but as humans.\u201d <\/p>\n

Except, wait. You didn\u2019t write that sentence, AI did<\/a>. You just wanted it to fix a typo and maybe zhuzh up the tone, but now it\u2019s full of em dashes, introspective pacing and oddly placed poetic pauses. You\u2019ve officially been \u201cEM-marked.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is the em-mark for AI?<\/p>\n

The em dash is that long horizontal line (\u2014) that\u2019s often used in place of commas, colons, parentheses or the occasional dramatic pause. It\u2019s like the Swiss Army knife of punctuation, and AI LOVES it.<\/p>\n

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AI is obsessed with em dashes the way Gen Z is obsessed with Y2K fashion; it\u2019s confusing, oddly stylish, and borderline offensive when overused. But here\u2019s the kicker: AI uses em dashes like sprinkles on a kid\u2019s cupcake, everywhere. Even when it\u2019s not appropriate. Even when you say, \u201cNo sprinkles, please.\u201d <\/p>\n

I have literally typed to AI: \u201cPlease remove the em dashes.\u201d And what do I get back? \u201cGot it!\u201d followed by:
\u201cThis is a major opportunity \u2014 one that demands urgency \u2014 and clarity \u2014 for maximum impact.\u201d Thanks, GPT<\/a>. You removed exactly zero.<\/p>\n

So, how do you sound human (but still use AI)?<\/p>\n

Despite the dash drama, I\u2019m not here to tell you to throw out AI altogether. AI is brilliant<\/a> at polishing, rephrasing and getting you out of your own mental way. But like a child with glitter glue, you still need to supervise it.<\/p>\n

Here are three actually-helpful tips to make sure your communication still sounds like you, not HAL 9000 with a journalism degree.<\/p>\n

1. Human first draft, robot second<\/p>\n

Always, and I mean always, write the first draft yourself. Let it be messy, typo-riddled, emotionally chaotic and uncomfortably honest. That\u2019s what gives your voice its fingerprints.<\/p>\n

Then let AI fix it up, rearrange and suggest better flow, but not before. AI can\u2019t guess what you meant if you don\u2019t give it something to work with first. Otherwise, it just serves you a perfectly punctuated bowl of oatmeal with the emotional depth of a DMV form letter. Think of it like this: You\u2019re the chef, AI is just your fancy sous-chef with a tiny top hat. You tell it what you\u2019re making. You don\u2019t let it invent the recipe.<\/p>\n

2. Strip the ems (and other AI tells)<\/p>\n

Once AI gives you its best version, rip it apart like you\u2019re editing a screenplay about a talking golden retriever that writes blogs.<\/p>\n

Look for:<\/p>\n

Em dashes (obviously)<\/p>\n

The phrase \u201cin today\u2019s fast-paced world\u201d (AI\u2019s favorite opening line)<\/p>\n

Overuse of rhetorical questions<\/p>\n

Repetitive alliteration (AI really thinks it\u2019s clever<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Do a \u201cfind and replace\u201d for \u201c\u2014\u201d if you must. Replace them with commas, periods or, God forbid, actual pauses in thought. It\u2019ll instantly humanize your tone. If your sentence feels like it\u2019s being narrated by Morgan Freeman in a nature documentary, it\u2019s probably too AI-ish.<\/p>\n

3. Add the \u2018you\u2019 back in<\/p>\n

After polishing, re-read it aloud. Ask yourself:<\/p>\n

Would I say this out loud at brunch?<\/p>\n

Does this sound like me, or a guest columnist for Forbes trying too hard?<\/p>\n

Did I just accidentally quote Tony Robbins?<\/p>\n

If it feels too stiff or polished, loosen it up, add a little slang. Break a grammar rule, use sentence fragments, write like you talk when you\u2019re three mimosas deep and giving your best friend life advice. That\u2019s the secret sauce.<\/p>\n

Example: <\/p>\n

AI version: \u201cLet\u2019s explore innovative solutions to elevate our business trajectory.\u201d
You version: \u201cLet\u2019s figure out how to stop spinning our wheels and actually grow this thing already.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feel the difference?<\/p>\n

Why you should still use AI, even if it likes em dashes more than is socially acceptable <\/p>\n

AI isn\u2019t the enemy, it\u2019s your collaborator, your co-writer, your overachieving intern who drank too much espresso and came back with a 1,200-word mission statement for a brunch flyer.<\/p>\n

Use it to:<\/p>\n

Tighten up your message<\/p>\n

Help with structure and flow<\/p>\n

Make your writing pop when you\u2019re brain-fried<\/p>\n

Get past blank-page syndrome without crying<\/p>\n

Just don\u2019t let it be the only voice in the room. Think of it like autocorrect,\u00a0 helpful when it\u2019s right, hilarious when it\u2019s wrong and dangerous if you\u2019re not paying attention.<\/p>\n

If your message starts sounding like it belongs in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, but you\u2019re just trying to email your VA about a podcast schedule, take a step back, kill the em dashes, reclaim your weird little voice, and remember: AI doesn\u2019t replace you<\/a>, it just makes you sound 12% smarter\u2026 if you supervise it like a helicopter parent at a middle school dance.<\/p>\n

Now go forth, edit like a human, delete like a savage and send with swagger. (And please, for the love of all things analog, remove the em dashes.)<\/p>\n

Starr Hall is an entrepreneur, veteran publicist and marketer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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