OpenAI says ChatGPT will listen if you tell it not to use em dashes

London, UK - 05 03 2025: Apple iPhone screen with Artificial Intelligence icons internet AI app application ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Gemini, Copilot, Grok, Claude, etc. (alexsl via Getty Images)

You may now have to scrutinize what you read on the internet (and event on print) more closely to determine if it’s the product of AI. Sam Altman has revealed on X that if you tell ChatGPT not to use em dashes in your custom instructions, the chatbot will now finally listen to you. Previously, ChatGPT would ignore your instruction and continue using em dashes even if you tell it not to.

People are treating the presence of em dashes, especially if they’re used in abundance, as one of the biggest tells if something ...