Opinion: Has Generative AI Ruined the Em Dash for Writers?

Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT are a hot-button issue for writers. There are many ethical reasons for this, but it has also brought writing craft and style debates. One question I have seen a lot in online forums is whether generative AI has ruined the em dash for writers because of how often (and how incorrectly) it’s used by these tools. Let’s take a deeper look at this debate and some potential considerations for future em dash use.

What is an Em Dash?

An em dash (—) is a punctuation mark used in sentences to add drama or emphasis. It can also be used to separate ideas. It’s called an “em” dash because its length traditionally matches the width of a capital “M,” and stylistically it sits somewhere between a comma, a colon, and parentheses. Some writers love it for the clarity and rhythm it brings to a line. Others argue it gets overused and muddies a sentence’s flow and replaces stronger, more intentional punctuation choices.

A Brief Explanation of Generative AI & the Writing Controversy Behind It

In simple terms, generative AI is a type of technology that creates new content based on the patterns it has learned from large amounts of data. It can draft sentences, compose music, generate images, and even mimic a writer’s style, all by predicting what should come next in a sequence. 

For many writers, this raises big questions about creativity, originality, and how these tools fit into the larger landscape of storytelling. At the end of the day, generative AI is not thinking or feeling; it’s recognizing patterns and offering possibilities.

Why Some Writers Believe Generative AI Has Ruined the Em Dash

Because generative AI responses are built on patterns, it tends to use repetitive sentence structures and grammar. People have begun using these to determine whether something was written by AI rather than a human being. 

If you’ve ever used ChatGPT or a similar platform, you already know that em dashes will appear in almost every response it provides. No matter how you train the model, they always find a way back into its outputs. To make matters worse, they are often overused and misused.

This has given em dashes a bad rap in the writing community. Many will read a piece that includes an em dash or two and automatically assume that it was written in whole or part by AI, no matter how masterfully crafted it is. 

Verdict: Em Dashes Alone Do Not Automatically Signal AI Use

Although generative AI tends to overuse em dashes, the truth is that the mere presence of em dashes in a piece of writing cannot be used to determine whether it was written by AI. Unless they have been used in conjunction with other AI writing patterns, they are not sufficient evidence of AI use. 

Using Em Dashes in Your Writing

Many writers (myself included) use em dashes in their work regardless of this new stigma surrounding them. They’re part of their writing style, and they don’t want to give them up, despite backlash from others in the writing community. The good news is that there’s no reason to stop using em dashes. The key is to use them sparingly and correctly to preserve their impact and integrity.

A Note on Ink & Oak's Policy on the Use of Generative AI

We believe that generative AI can be a useful writing tool in specific situations when used responsibly. Tools like Grammarly, various word processor spellcheckers, and speech-to-text use various forms of AI, and they can make writing more accessible to people of all abilities. However, generative AI should not be used to write for you. This is because it is trained on data and content written by others, which can lead to similarity or even copyright and plagiarism issues. It also takes the creativity out of creative writing, and lowers the perceived value of those who have worked hard to hone their craft.

Our goal is to showcase original creative works written by North Carolina authors. While we do not restrict the usage of grammar and assistive tools that may incorporate AI in some way, we do not accept any works written by generative AI. Anyone who sends us works written by generative AI may be barred from all future publication opportunities with us.

To Use or Not to Use the Em Dash

Ignore the naysayers; whether you use em dashes in your writing is a stylistic choice, and their usage alone does not indicate AI use or make you “less” of a writer in any way. 

If you have a new piece you’re ready to share with the world, submit it to Ink & Oak today. We’d love to read your work, em dashes or not.

FAQs

Are em dashes indicative of AI?

No, the presence of em dashes alone does not indicate AI usage. They tend to be overused and misused by AI tools, but they are not sufficient evidence on their own to “prove” that something is AI written. They must be paired with other AI writing patterns to be indicative of AI.

What is the em dash controversy?

The em dash controversy is related to the rise in generative AI tools like ChatGPT. These tools are built around patterns, which leads them to overuse certain punctuation, phrasing, grammar conventions, and sentence structures. Em dashes are one example of this, which has led some writers to believe that em dashes should no longer be used to protect their work.