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AI is making us think and write more alike: Large language models are standardizing human expression — and subtly influencing how we think
(dornsife.usc.edu)
Within groups and societies, cognitive diversity bolsters creativity and problem-solving, say the researchers. However, cognitive diversity is shrinking worldwide as billions of people are using the same handful of AI chatbots for an increasing number of tasks, they add. When people use chatbots to help them polish their writing, for example, the writing ends up losing its stylistic individuality, and people feel less creative ownership over what they produce.
Honestly, should I stop using em dashes? Or at least stop using them in academic settings? I really don't want to have to deal with the "I wanted to see you after lecture because your essay sounds like it was written by AI" talk. I never use LLMs, and I've been using em dashes since long before ChatGPT was released, but I keep hearing people talking about identifying AI writing because of em dash use. I suppose it doesn't help that most of my serious writing sounds incredibly academic—much like I imagine an LLM would talk. But no, I'm not using AI to write; I'm just autistic.
No. If people think em-dashes are a "surefire sign" of LLMs, they're just as dumb as the people who take LLM output uncritically. Sometimes, you need to separate a thought with something other than a period, semicolon, or parenthesis, and a hyphen or double hyphen is simply not correct grammar. LLMs can pry my em-dashes from my cold, dead fingers.
Just adapt the ~
I've never seen a tilde used in formal writing beyond indication that a given number is an estimate. I feel like it'd make more problems than it would solve (lower marks for improper grammar). Besides, if I used them in place, it would just look like I was covering up em dash use—which wouldn't work anyway, as the sentence strurure remains the same. I can get around them with commas, semicolons, and structural changes to sentences, that just requires a conscious effort to alter my writing style.