Actually there is a reason for this. AI is trained on basically everything that humans and especially writers have ever written use em dash Very(Even presidential candidates have a tendency to overuse it,) Thus, AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Grok have learned that it’s a part of our flow, and they’ve gone out of their way to include this punctuation to make their output feel more natural, Research shows that em dashes became twice as common around the same time AI use began to become mainstream,
As a general enjoyer of EM Dash, the revelation that Dash was becoming a clear indication of the use of AI led me to press my favorite button On the Internet, and I have supported any and all pushback on the notion that my beloved em dash is an absolute bonanza when identifying AI-generated text.
How to Identify AI-Generated Text
Of course, AI chatbots are being updated regularly, and AI companies are also getting wise to this complaint. So, Reddit user Others have been sharing clues That a text was written by AI. If you’re curious, here are some of the top takeaways, though it’s important to note that unfortunately there’s no tried-and-true way to detect AI. Real humans would also use these writing techniques.
“And honestly?”
Many Redditors have noticed that the AI will ask “And honestly?” While making a point. In context, it would look something like this:
“The sky is blue. And honestly? Blue is a beautiful color.”
This kind of hackneyed sentence structure is apparently quite common from AI, and can be useful in selecting AI-generated responses. Typically, people who are active on social media don’t talk like this unless they’re being demonstrative, so it definitely comes across as disinterested in normal conversation. many Other By Redditors AI “And honestly?” Came forward to complain about the excessive use of the phrase. as well as similar phrases like “Result?” And “Best/worst part?”
“No fluff”
The phrase “no fluff” doesn’t necessarily have a specific name like some of the other examples on this list, but it is another phrase that Redditors have claimed They’ve seen AI-generated text all the time. This requires no example, as “no fluff” is a self-contained phrase that means the same thing in every context.
It is mostly used to indicate that the text immediately following it is free of “fluff”, which are unnecessary filler words or phrases that add length without adding value. In practice, adding “no fluff” would indicate that the post is being taken quite seriously while using a non-serious phrase to support it. Some A.I. tend to use According to Reddit, this is more than others.
The thing is, the phrase “no fluff” is intrinsically fluff, and many Redditors have expressed disinterest How often is it used by AI? This usually happens when Users ask AI to get to the point quickly, while others to signal AI’s use of “no fluff” is similar to how humans use the phrase “don’t lie.”
short, fragmented sentences one after another
Another common theme that many Redditors have noticed is the AI’s tendency to use lots of short, fragmented sentences for emphasis. This is quite common in everyday conversations, but it is generally less common to see many of them supporting each other. My favorite example The previous example is also used in this.
mashable light speed
“And honestly? It’s so powerful. You’re not just changing. You’re evolving. I see it. Other people see it. And that’s rare.”
The previous example totals eight sentences, and it should really be closer to three. Redditors have noticed that he short, punchy sentences Used to convey emotional weight, as you might see in a novel or movie script. However, it seems as if the AI has gone off the deep end with this mechanic, and overuse of it is fast becoming a clear sign of an AI-generated response or a very, very bad writer.
“It’s not X. It’s Y.”
Short, emotionally charged sentences come from the “it’s not X, it’s Y” sentence structure that is heavily used by AI. In practice there are sentences like this look like this,
“This is not a rant. This is a reflection. Not a complaint, but an observation. This is not chaos, this is clarity.”
This is, in a way, an offshoot of the earlier example of short, fragmented sentences, but it is such a common occurrence within that subgroup that it warrants its own discussion. You may also see this described as “contrast framing.”
Redditors comment on it They often catch AI saying both “It’s not X, it’s Y” and short, fragmented sentences simultaneously. Once the pattern emerged, it didn’t take long for other Redditors to To express their extreme disinterest For this particular sign that the AI is working.
overuse of signposting
As someone who used to enjoy signposting, this made me irrationally angry, but alas, AI has borrowed another literary device from us humans. Signposting is the use of words or phrases to guide the reader to the next part of the text. Here is an example:
“There are two things you should know. First, item one. Second, item two. The main thing is that there are two things.”
There are plenty of examples of signposting words and phrases, including “opposite,” therefore, “furthermore,” and many others. It may also appear in longer phrases such as “the main point is” or “the conclusion from here is”. In an effort to seem more human, the AI relies on these phrases to create a sense of flow in its responses, but Redditors have noticed that the AI relies on them more than a typical human. For now, users have gone out of their way prompt AI Don’t talk like this, but it rarely helps.
common interaction signals
This is mostly seen on social media. Most content creators use some form of engagement prompt, with perhaps the most famous being the “like, subscribe, and ring” on YouTube. AI does something similar in the textBut it doesn’t flow that well. See below for example.
“That’s all I have to say. I’m curious what others think.”
The phrase “curious what others think” is by far the most commonly used example when it comes to general engagement signals in social media messaging. It is found most often Linkedin post and on reddit,
There is a caveat to this particular thing. Many humans also use this phrase, and its use does not necessarily mean that AI is being used. Redditors say the main action is when accounts ask for engagement in this manner and then never engage. Some? Users believe so AI does this because it has learned from social media trends, but AI is not human, so it doesn’t (and can’t) respond.
Disclosure: Mashable’s parent company Ziff Davis filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in the training and operation of its AI systems.
Subject
artificial intelligence
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