# Authors drop em dashes and add typos to evade AI detectors

Digest AI · Society & Work · published 2026-10-31T13:40:53Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/authors-drop-em-dashes-and-add-typos-to-evade-ai-detectors

## Summary

Bloomberg reports that AI text detectors, specifically naming Pangram, are influencing how humans write. To avoid being flagged as machine-generated, authors are altering their natural style. This includes removing em dashes, avoiding the "not X, but Y" construction, and steering clear of words like "delve" that are often associated with AI output. In some cases, writers are intentionally adding typos to mimic human error and pass detection checks. This shift highlights a growing tension between automated policing of content and authentic human expression. As AI-generated text becomes more prevalent, the pressure to prove humanity is distorting writing habits. The article suggests that these detectors are not just identifying AI but actively reshaping human linguistic norms to fit algorithmic expectations of what constitutes "human" writing.

## Key points

- Authors drop em dashes and "not X, but Y" phrasing to avoid AI detection.
- Writers avoid words like "delve" and may add typos to look human.
- Pangram is cited as a detector influencing these changes in human writing.

## Why it matters

This trend shows AI detectors are distorting human writing habits, forcing authors to alter natural style to prove authenticity, which impacts content quality and linguistic norms.

## Sources

1. [How AI detectors like Pangram are changing human writing: authors drop em dashes, "not X, but Y" phrasing, and words like "delve", or add typos, to look human](https://bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-10-30/how-ai-detectors-like-pangram-are-changing-human-writing?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc5MzM2MDg2MCwiZXhwIjoxNzkzOTY1NjYwLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUTlBLU0FLSVVQU0MwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiI1MEU0OTBGQjhDNTM0MkREODAwRUEyNTQ1RjBCMThCOCJ9.QWmO8ZCSYNuUI7oMX4N9wEkQtBDq_LYD89yJOMz3bfE) (bloomberg.com, 2026-10-31)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Authors drop em dashes and add typos to evade AI detectors", 31 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/authors-drop-em-dashes-and-add-typos-to-evade-ai-detectors

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