Women issue warning

Some Gen Z users claim there’s a clear sign that content was written using AI like ChatGPT: the em dash. On social media, the LuxeGen Group Chat podcast pointed out the so-called “ChatGPT hyphen” as a giveaway in copywriting. Podcasters Daisy Reed and Sapna Rao noted that the em dash—a long dash often used for emphasis or breaks in thought—is often associated with AI-generated text. Rao joked that students should remove em dashes from their essays to avoid detection, adding that she can “always tell” when something’s written by AI.

While the podcasters weren’t completely against using ChatGPT, they emphasized the importance of editing and adding a human touch—“Person, ChatGPT, person,” as Rao put it. However, many disagreed with their claim, pointing out that the em dash is commonly and correctly used by professional writers. Critics argued that calling it a “longer hyphen” shows a misunderstanding of punctuation and grammar. Some defended the em dash as a normal writing tool, while others admitted they still remove it to avoid suspicion of using AI.