This tiny detail is exposing you for using ChatGPT
Think you’ve mastered getting away with using ChatGPT? Well, Gen Zs have spotted a tiny clue that’s blowing your cover.
So, you thought you could sneak that ChatGPT-generated essay past your professor or boss?
Think again. According to some ever-observant Gen Zs, there’s one sneaky giveaway that’s blowing your AI cover, and it’s all about punctuation.
Enter the em dash – aka the “ChatGPT hyphen” if you ask the internet. This stylish little line is a favourite among writers and grammar nerds.
Now, thanks to a viral moment from the 'LuxeGen Podcast', it’s also being flagged as a dead giveaway that your writing came straight from the bots.
ALSO READ: Did Trump get ChatGPT to do his homework?
Podcasters Daisy Reed and Sapna Rao pointed out that some brands and students alike are unknowingly exposing their AI use just by using this dash.
“If you’re using ChatGPT for your school essays, take out the hyphens. I can always tell,” Rao warned. Savage.
The fact that Zoomers are unironically referring to the em-dash as “the ChatGPT hyphen” is wild pic.twitter.com/rKbR4KtKq4
— Justine Moore (@venturetwins) April 3, 2025
Apparently, ChatGPT loves a good em dash. While it’s grammatically correct (sorry, punctuation purists), it’s also become a telltale sign that maybe (just maybe) you didn’t write that paragraph yourself.
However, they’re not anti-AI. In fact, they suggest a method: “Person, ChatGPT, person.” Meaning?
Let the bot help, but don’t forget to add your human flair. Proofread. Rewrite. Delete that suspicious dash if you must.
Some grammar geeks are even pushing back, defending the poor em dash’s honour. Why? We don’t know.
ALSO READ: ChatGPT accuses man of murder
Whether it’s fair or not though, the ChatGPT-hyphen hysteria is real.
So next time you’re tempted to copy and paste that AI-generated masterpiece, give it a once-over.
Or risk getting called out… by a punctuation mark.
Now that you know, try noticing just how many people and companies are using AI-generated works in disguise.
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