Post by : Badri Ariffin

After persistent requests from users, ChatGPT has finally adjusted its overreliance on em dashes. OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, proclaimed this update on X, highlighting it as a “small-but-important victory” for writers and editors exasperated by the chatbot’s previous punctuation flaws. Users can now direct ChatGPT to omit em dashes, and the AI will accommodate this preference in forthcoming responses.

What used to be a minor quirk quickly gained notoriety as a signature of AI-generated content. Even when users specifically requested a “no em dashes” approach, ChatGPT often neglected the directive, giving rise to memes and light-hearted online banter. With this revision, OpenAI has reinforced the chatbot’s “custom instructions” feature, allowing users to gain enhanced control over tone, style, and punctuation usage.

In addition to fixing punctuation, OpenAI has rolled out Group Chats, which lets up to 20 users engage with ChatGPT simultaneously. This new functionality promotes collaborative brainstorming, question-answering, and conversation mediation, transforming the platform into a shared interactive space rather than merely a personal tool. Currently being piloted in Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Taiwan, it is anticipated to expand to a wider audience.

This advancement aligns with OpenAI’s broader initiative to improve user experience and interaction. Recent experiments, such as Sora for short-form AI videos and Atlas, an AI browser for Mac, demonstrate the company’s desire to go beyond simple chat and provide innovative, practical tools.

With the em dash concern addressed and new collaborative capabilities introduced, ChatGPT is emerging as a more flexible assistant—optimizing precision, style, and social interaction—all while empowering users to shape how it communicates.

#Global News