Once upon a time—not so long ago—the em-dash was a humble hero of punctuation. It was a favourite of seasoned writers who wanted to break a thought mid-sentence, add a pause for effect, or avoid the clutter of parentheses. It wasn’t flashy or overly academic—it was practical, rhythmic, and, when used with intent, elegant.
But now? The em-dash has become… suspicious.
The biggest red flag?
In the age of AI-generated content, certain hallmarks of good writing have come under fire, and the em-dash is near the top of the list. Apparently, it’s become a red flag—an easy way for some to “prove” that a piece of content was churned out by a robot. Never mind that professional copywriters and journalists have been wielding this tool for decades with skill and intention. Suddenly, a perfectly placed em-dash can make your work look less crafted and more prompted.
So what are we, the humans behind the keyboards, supposed to do? Should we abandon the em-dash in favour of safer, more AI-proof punctuation? Trade musical flow for rigid periods? Rewrite sentences to avoid looking “too clever”? It feels a bit like asking painters to avoid using certain shades of blue because AI-generated art uses them too much.
Learning from the best
Here’s the thing: the em-dash isn’t an AI tell. It’s a writer’s tell. And if AI has picked it up, that’s because it learned it from us. It’s not artificial intelligence’s fault that it mimics what good writing looks like—it learned from the best. The fact that AI uses em-dashes isn’t proof of inauthenticity. It’s proof that em-dashes are useful.
Of course, readers, editors, and clients are now on high alert, and that’s a valid concern. A writer-for-hire is judged on the work they produce and submitting content that comes across as being entirely AI-created is akin to a top chef sending out a dish to table seven that’s still in its ready-meal wrapper.
But let’s not toss out tools just because someone else copied our toolbox. Writing with caution is fine—but writing with fear? That’s a different story. So here’s to the em-dash. Keep it in your arsenal. Use it when it fits. Let your rhythm, your voice, your humanity shine through—and if someone mistakes that for AI, well… maybe that says more about them than it does about your writing.