ICYMI - ChatGPT Has Ruined the Em Dash
Slate Technology
Slate
4.6 • 636 Ratings
🗓️ 23 August 2025
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay get into the war between em dashes and artificial intelligence. Back in 2024, what started as a developer question became an all-out grammar war, with the use of em dashes becoming a possible indicator that something was written using ChatGPT. In the past week alone, several writers have published their defenses of the em dash and how we shouldn’t let ChatGPT ruin our favorite keyboard shortcut. However, the em dash may be a symptom of a bigger issue: have our AI detection skills gotten worse? Or, are we all doomed to be tricked by a hyphen or two?
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This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Monopoly game at McDonald's is back. |
| 0:03.0 | There's over £2 million worth of cash prizes to be won. |
| 0:06.0 | And a chance to get your hands on some epic prizes. |
| 0:09.0 | Go on. It's your go. |
| 0:11.0 | 18 plus UK ends 21st of October. |
| 0:15.0 | Selected menu items. |
| 0:16.0 | App may be required. |
| 0:17.0 | May depend on winning moment. |
| 0:18.0 | See victory rules.co. |
| 0:20.0 | . be required. May depend on winning moments. See mictoryrules.com. Okay. |
| 0:34.8 | Hey, I'm Candace Lemm. |
| 0:36.0 | And I'm Kate Lindsay. |
| 0:38.2 | And you're listening to I seeC-Y-M-I. |
| 0:39.9 | In case you missed it. |
| 0:42.3 | Slate's podcast about internet culture. And Kate, is Christian Girl Autumn canceled? |
| 0:50.2 | As of this morning, I am happy to announce that Christian Girl Autumn is continuing as planned. |
| 1:03.3 | Let's all clap. |
| 1:04.3 | Thank God. |
| 1:05.5 | Oh, right. |
| 1:06.1 | You can't really clap because, yeah, Candice is coming at you from a sort of blanket fort dungeon situation right now. |
| 1:13.1 | Yeah, I'm under a blanket because there is some construction happening around my house and therefore |
| 1:19.1 | I needed to move rooms. It was unexpected. Therefore, if I sound different, I am so sorry. But we're chugging |
... |
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