Let’s speak concerning the em sprint. Not the little harmless hyphen, not its barely extra assured cousin, the en sprint. No, I’m speaking concerning the ‘EM dash,’ that lengthy, dramatic line that AI looooooves to drop in your sentences prefer it’s getting paid per sprint. Significantly, it’s the AI model of jazz palms.
Besides, wait. You didn’t write that sentence, AI did. You simply needed it to repair a typo and possibly zhuzh up the tone, however now it’s stuffed with em dashes, introspective pacing and oddly positioned poetic pauses. You’ve formally been “EM-marked.”
What’s the em-mark for AI?
The em sprint is that lengthy horizontal line (—) that’s typically used rather than commas, colons, parentheses or the occasional dramatic pause. It’s just like the Swiss Military knife of punctuation, and AI LOVES it.
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AI is obsessive about em dashes the way in which Gen Z is obsessive about Y2K style; it’s complicated, oddly fashionable, and borderline offensive when overused. However right here’s the kicker: AI makes use of em dashes like sprinkles on a child’s cupcake, all over the place. Even when it’s not applicable. Even if you say, “No sprinkles, please.”
I’ve actually typed to AI: “Please remove the em dashes.” And what do I get again? “Got it!” adopted by:“This is a major opportunity — one that demands urgency — and clarity — for maximum impact.” Thanks, GPT. You eliminated precisely zero.
So, how do you sound human (however nonetheless use AI)?
Regardless of the sprint drama, I’m not right here to inform you to throw out AI altogether. AI is good at sprucing, rephrasing and getting you out of your personal psychological manner. However like a toddler with glitter glue, you continue to have to supervise it.
Listed here are three actually-helpful suggestions to ensure your communication nonetheless sounds such as you, not HAL 9000 with a journalism diploma.
1. Human first draft, robotic second
All the time, and I imply all the time, write the primary draft your self. Let it’s messy, typo-riddled, emotionally chaotic and uncomfortably sincere. That’s what provides your voice its fingerprints.
Then let AI repair it up, rearrange and counsel higher movement, however not earlier than. AI can’t guess what you meant should you don’t give it one thing to work with first. In any other case, it simply serves you a superbly punctuated bowl of oatmeal with the emotional depth of a DMV kind letter. Consider it like this: You’re the chef, AI is simply your fancy sous-chef with a tiny high hat. You inform it what you’re making. You don’t let it invent the recipe.
2. Strip the ems (and different AI tells)
As soon as AI provides you its finest model, rip it aside such as you’re enhancing a screenplay a couple of speaking golden retriever that writes blogs.
Search for:
Em dashes (clearly)
The phrase “in today’s fast-paced world” (AI’s favourite opening line)
Overuse of rhetorical questions
Repetitive alliteration (AI actually thinks it’s intelligent)
Do a “find and replace” for “—” should you should. Exchange them with commas, intervals or, God forbid, precise pauses in thought. It’ll immediately humanize your tone. In case your sentence feels prefer it’s being narrated by Morgan Freeman in a nature documentary, it’s most likely too AI-ish.
3. Add the ‘you’ again in
After sprucing, re-read it aloud. Ask your self:
Would I say this out loud at brunch?
Does this sound like me, or a visitor columnist for Forbes making an attempt too exhausting?
Did I simply unintentionally quote Tony Robbins?
If it feels too stiff or polished, loosen it up, add a little bit slang. Break a grammar rule, use sentence fragments, write such as you speak if you’re three mimosas deep and giving your finest pal life recommendation. That’s the key sauce.
Instance:
AI model: “Let’s explore innovative solutions to elevate our business trajectory.”You model: “Let’s figure out how to stop spinning our wheels and actually grow this thing already.”
Really feel the distinction?
Why you need to nonetheless use AI, even when it likes em dashes greater than is socially acceptable
AI isn’t the enemy, it’s your collaborator, your co-writer, your overachieving intern who drank an excessive amount of espresso and got here again with a 1,200-word mission assertion for a brunch flyer.
Use it to:
Tighten up your message
Assist with construction and movement
Make your writing pop if you’re brain-fried
Get previous blank-page syndrome with out crying
Simply don’t let it’s the one voice within the room. Consider it like autocorrect, useful when it’s proper, hilarious when it’s mistaken and harmful should you’re not paying consideration.
Now go forth, edit like a human, delete like a savage and ship with swagger. (And please, for the love of all issues analog, take away the em dashes.)
Starr Corridor is an entrepreneur, veteran publicist and marketer.
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