The Em Dash Dilemma: How AI is Reshaping a Classic Punctuation Mark

The noticeable prevalence of em dashes in content generated by artificial intelligence models has become a curious point of observation among writers and technologists. This trend has led many to question whether AI models might be using em dashes as a cost-saving measure, perhaps due to cheaper token generation for certain models. However, a deeper examination reveals insights into linguistic history, modern typing habits, and even the subtle influence of AI on human writing styles.

Em Dashes: A Mark of Quality, Historically

For centuries, the em dash was a beloved tool for authors, often signaling a sophisticated and nuanced writing style. Unlike the common hyphen, the em dash serves distinct grammatical functions, such as indicating a sudden break in thought, an abrupt change in sentence structure, or setting off an explanatory phrase. This rich history means that much of the high-quality literature an AI might be trained on would naturally feature ample use of em dashes.

Ease of Use and Modern Keyboards

Despite perceptions, typing an em dash isn't universally difficult. Many modern word processors, such as Microsoft Word, automatically convert two hyphens into an em dash as you type. For Mac users, dedicated keyboard shortcuts like shift+option+minus make typing both em dashes and en dashes (with option+minus) straightforward. Yet, a typical modern writer might opt for a simpler hyphen or a semicolon due to the immediate accessibility of those keys, suggesting a decline in their casual use outside of specific professional contexts like published books or high-quality articles.

The AI Effect on Human Writing

A significant and somewhat ironic outcome of AI's frequent use of em dashes is its impact on human writers. Many individuals who previously incorporated em dashes extensively in their personal and professional writing are now consciously avoiding them. The fear is that their genuine, human-crafted text might be mislabeled as AI-generated simply because of a stylistic choice that has suddenly become an AI hallmark. This shift forces human writers to restructure sentences and alter long-standing personal styles, leading to frustration.

Explaining AI's Em Dash Tendency

The leading theories for why AI models frequently employ em dashes revolve around their training data and reinforcement learning processes:

• Training Data Bias: AIs are trained on vast corpora of text. If a significant portion of this data includes older, high-quality literature—where em dashes were more prevalent—the models will naturally learn and replicate this stylistic pattern. Overriding this learned tendency with specific instructions might consume more computational resources, indirectly leading to a "cheaper" default output with em dashes.

• Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF): Another hypothesis suggests that the humans involved in the RLHF process, who fine-tune AI model outputs, might originate from regions or writing traditions where em dashes are more commonly used. Their feedback could inadvertently reinforce the model's inclination towards this punctuation.

In conclusion, the curious case of AI and em dashes highlights a complex interplay between linguistic history, technological evolution, and the evolving perception of authenticity in digital communication. While the tools to type em dashes are accessible, their association with AI is challenging established human writing practices.