"It's about to become harder to spot when someone has used ChatGPT. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, said the chatbot would no longer use the em dash - a hallmark of its writing style - if a user requested it. "If you tell ChatGPT not to use em-dashes in your custom instructions, it finally does what it's supposed to do!" Altman said in an X post Thursday night."
"Some users have complained that ChatGPT would ignore their requests to avoid the elongated dash. The punctuation is popular among writers to signal surprise or contrast - but some have stopped using it because they fear being accused of using ChatGPT. Altman described the update as a "small-but-happy win." The update comes as OpenAI continues to make ChatGPT more customizable with features like "memory" and custom GPTs."
OpenAI updated ChatGPT to honor user requests to avoid em dashes, allowing a new formatting preference that removes a common stylistic tell. Users had complained that the model ignored instructions to avoid elongated dashes; em dashes are commonly used to signal surprise or contrast, and some users stopped using them out of concern about being identified as using the model. The change is framed as a small win and is part of broader customization efforts including memory and custom GPTs. Users can now ask the chatbot to remember formatting and other details for future interactions. Other stylistic signatures, such as clichéd phrases, remain unaddressed.
Read at Business Insider
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