Women are alerting users of ChatGPT to a peculiar detail that could expose reliance on the AI tool. In certain scenarios, such as important work projects or school assignments, it’s advisable to avoid depending on artificial intelligence.
ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is a sophisticated AI model capable of drafting essays, conducting conversations, writing code, and handling mundane tasks. However, it carries risks like data privacy issues, plagiarism, and other ethical concerns.
As technology evolves, many might find themselves turning to AI assistants like ChatGPT. While proofreading and revising robotic-sounding sentences might help you blend in, there are no guarantees.
The risk increases if your employer or teacher belongs to Gen Z or has been informed about the ChatGPT giveaway.
A group of young podcasters from the ‘LuxeGen Group Chat’ recently discussed this on social media, revealing the so-called ‘ChatGPT hyphen.’ They noted that some websites have dashes in their text that are a dead giveaway. A popular comment on the matter stated, “Including the ChatGPT hyphen is insane.”
Podcasters Daisy Reed and Sapna Rao highlighted, “It’s a longer hyphen, if you’ve noticed it.”
The em dash, a cherished punctuation mark used by writers globally, can function like a comma, colon, or parentheses. According to Merriam-Webster, it serves to summarize information or emphasize a point within a sentence.
The podcasters humorously advised people to remove em dashes from their writing to avoid suspicion of using ChatGPT. Rao emphasized that those using ChatGPT for school essays should delete the hyphens, as they are easily identifiable.
Rao clarified that while she isn’t opposed to the platform, it should first be used by humans, with input refined by ChatGPT and finalized with a personal touch. “Person, ChatGPT, person,” she noted as the proper sequence.
However, the discovery hasn’t convinced everyone, as many argue the em dash is a common tool among professional writers who do not use AI.
One copywriter defended, “Not true. As a copywriter, I love an em dash.”
Another commented, “People [are] acting like ChatGPT created grammar.”
A third noted, “The fact they’re all referring to it as a ‘longer hyphen’ and not an ’em dash’ says everything about how it has managed to catch on as an ‘AI tell’ when it’s just correct punctuation.”
Yet, some agree with the podcasters, saying the hyphen is too obvious and should be removed from their writing.