Star Youth Em Dashes: A Telltale Sign of AI Writing?
Back in fifth grade at an English-medium school in Dhaka, I faced an odd punishment. A friend made strange noises in class and blamed me. When I defended myself using the word "framed," the teacher hit my palm with a ruler. Her response? "Are you a picture?" She knew I hadn’t made the noise, but she punished me for using a word she didn’t understand.
That was the first time I felt punished for being good at English—a language I’ve always loved.
Fast forward two decades, and that feeling returned when I saw a Facebook status claiming that you can spot AI writing by its use of em dashes. The post argued that no human uses em dashes in casual writing. This isn’t an isolated view. Over the past year, many seasoned writers—journalists, novelists, essayists—have reported their work being flagged by AI detection tools as "likely AI-generated." These accusations come despite years of honing their craft.
Good writers are being punished for writing well. This is a worrying trend.
Why Em Dashes?
Em dashes are often a trigger for AI detection tools. Yet, this punctuation mark has been embraced by literary giants like Emily Dickinson and Joan Didion for its ability to create pause and tonal shifts. To claim that no human uses em dashes is to ignore a wide range of expressive writing styles.
This narrow view risks reducing prose to flat, uninspired writing—the very issue critics often highlight about AI-generated content.
The Real Consequences
- For young writers: The message is clear—don’t write too well or you may be accused of cheating.
- For educators and editors: There’s a temptation to rely on flawed AI detection software instead of thoughtful judgment.
- For professional writers: It becomes absurd to defend their humanity every time they submit polished work.
This skepticism about authorship reflects deeper unease about distinguishing human creativity from AI output. But early AI detection tools are far from accurate.
So here’s a straightforward truth: do not mistake well-crafted writing for AI-generated text just because it includes em dashes or flows smoothly. Good writing deserves recognition, not suspicion.
If you’re interested in learning more about AI’s role in writing and how to work alongside it, resources like Complete AI Training’s ChatGPT courses can provide useful insights.
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