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OpenAI Tweaks ChatGPT to Drop Em Dashes on Request

The update works only when a no em dash preference is set in custom instructions.

Overview

  • CEO Sam Altman announced the change on X, calling it a “small-but-happy win.”
  • ChatGPT now honors user-set preferences to avoid the em dash, addressing prior complaints that such requests were ignored.
  • OpenAI said on Threads that this is not a default behavior change and that users must set the preference in personalization settings.
  • The adjustment targets a stylistic hallmark often used to spot AI-written text, potentially reducing that tell.
  • The tweak aligns with OpenAI’s push for greater customization through features like memory and custom GPTs, and it drew widespread, lighthearted reactions online.