Even AI has a Tell: A Boomer’s Journey into AI

Just as in poker, even AI has a tell, a visual cue that gives it away.  When you read something written by AI, there is one punctuation mark that often gives it away.”  What is it?  The tell is—the Em Dash.”

The whaaaat?   The Dash?

No, the Em Dash.

You mean a Hyphen?

Well, not exactly.  It’s sort of a super-hyphen.

Is that an En Dash or an Em dash?

Ugh, actually there is an En Dash and it is sort of a medium-hyphen. 

It’s like small, medium, large for hyphens.

Or maybe Tall, Grande, and Venti if you are a Starbucks fan.

Hyphen.  En Dash.  Em dash.

Got it?

So, a dash is longer than a hyphen?

Apparently, yes or no.  I mean, you are correct.

Em Dash.  Is that Em-Dash (with a hyphen) or Em Dash?

Oddly, there is no hyphen in the word(s) Em dash. 

Are they capitalized? 

Not actually.  I was just making the word stand out.  The word em dash is not normally capitalized.

Well, what key on my keyboard is the em dash?

Actually, there is no em dash key.

So, why does AI use the em dash all the time then? 

Nobody seems completely sure. But there are a few popular theories.

1.     Training Data Bias—AI models are trained on massive libraries of professionally edited books, journalism, and essays where em dashes are common.

2.     The "Swiss Army Knife" of Punctuation—As the AI predicts text token-by-token, an em dash offers a safe, highly flexible way to connect thoughts without deciding between a comma, colon, or parenthesis.

3.     Optimization for Readability—Human feedback during reinforcement training consistently rewards clear, structurally varied sentences, leading the AI to favor the emphatic pause of the em dash.

Are you using AI to answer me?

Me —What —How could you tell?

As a Boomer, why didn’t I ever learn from my English teacher to use an em dash?   It sounds like it would have gotten me past a whole lot of red ink on my cursive, hand-written, homework I had to hand in.

Alas, that may be true. 

Well, I want one now.  How do I get me an em dash I can sprinkle around my letters and e-mails and Facebook posts?

If you really want one you can have one.  It just takes a little bit of keyboard acrobatics, like playing Twister on your keyboard with your fingers.

I don’t understand.

Depending on what type of computer or software you are using, all you have to do to have your own em dash is the following:

·       Alt Code—Hold Alt and type 0151 on the numeric keypad (requires a number pad).

·       Windows Shortcut—Hold Win + . (period) to open the emoji panel, click the Symbols tab (Ω), and select the em dash.

·       Microsoft Word—Type two hyphens -- between words without spaces, and Word will automatically convert it to an em dash.

·       Google Docs—Type Alt + Shift + - (minus key).

·       Mac (for reference) —Hold Option + Shift + -. 

See, nothing to it, just a little keyboard Twister.

Wait.  Are you using AI again to answer me?

Who—me—No way.

Hmmmm.  Maybe I’ll just stick to using proper English, grammar, and punctuation. 

That would be fine.