A French political leader recently got into hot water. It wasn’t over a contentious policy or a controversial opinion—it was over his use of the em dash.

“The em dash is now flourishing in press releases, self-congratulatory LinkedIn posts and university application letters. To the point that what once seemed like typographical refinement has become a telltale sign,” reports Le Monde .

When LLM use leads to an over-reliance on em dashes and words like “meticulous,” it doesn’t just weaken your writing. It can also damage your credibility. And ChatGPT-isms are just the beginning.

AI doesn’t undermine credibility because of punctuation quirks. It’s more about tone and subtleties like unearned authority. As the leader of a SaaS company grounded in automation, I’m firmly pro-AI. But even then, thoughtful and strategic use is essential if you want to protect your credibility and integrity.

Here are a few ways AI-generated writing can diminish trust—and how to fix it.

Overconfidence Without Lived Experience

If I had a dime for every time I pushed back on ChatGPT’s output, questioning whether it was really the truth, and received an admonition that I was right, the LLM’s response wasn’t fully accurate—well, I might be able to fund another startup.

ChatGPT’s default setting is certainty. If you prompt ChatGPT to draft text for you, chances are it will generate a statement full of conviction. Your writing will sound authoritative, yet it might lack real-world grounding.

Rare are the times when business owners can predict anything with 100% accuracy. Truth lives in the nuance and gray area.

If AI skews toward certainty, you can correct course by introducing shades of doubt in honest ways. Rather than “bootstrapped companies are more sustainable,” add a disclaimer: “In my experience, bootstrapped companies are more sustainable.” A touch of humility about uncertainty can protect your credibility.

LLMs like ChatGPT are a powerful tool for creating marketing and media content. From headlines and subheads to final edits, they can polish an already strong idea. (Caveat: never outsource your creativity entirely. Ideas should always originate with you.) Over a quarter of U.S. workers, and 45% of those with postgraduate degrees, report using ChatGPT at work, according to OpenAI . People working in marketing, communications, sales, and customer experience say they mainly use ChatGPT for writing, research, creative ideation, and generating media.

AI can be powerful in these realms, but I’ve noticed that ChatGPT often frames things generically—three steps or five pillars. It uses neat problem-solution-outcome structures. These frameworks might seem professional and SEO-friendly, but they lack originality. Instead, hold on to the specificity of your ideas.

Build arguments on real figures and data. Name actual tools, people, and use cases. Dive into the details. Share your triumphs, but also include what didn’t work. Don’t stick to a tidy framework for the sake of efficiency. Credibility is built upon transparency and original thinking.

Over-Smoothing And Removing Tension

AI avoids sharp edges in every sense. Algorithms suggest products and services and content that align with your interests. It removes some of the thinking as well. Why browse the film reviews if Netflix is programmed to figure out and suggest movies you might like? In today’s increasingly AI-driven world, I believe in leveraging available tools like ChatGPT in order to automate busywork and leave more time for meaningful tasks. But it falls on us to still do the work—read the reviews, deliberately choose your film, and go to the cinema.

AI tools also tend to remove sharp edges from ideas and writing. I’ve observed how it shies away from strong opinions, bold contradictions, or anything that might not land with everyone. It’s a creator of mild takes, rather than the hot ones.

My advice: take a stance. When you feel strongly about something, don’t be afraid to say something people could reasonably disagree with. That’s where credibility lives. As a business owner, it’s tempting to let AI smooth out your messaging, your positioning, even your opinions. But by doing so, you risk losing your unique edge and instead, fading into every other brand saying the same safe thing.

Use ChatGPT to take your writing to the next level, handling some of the editing and adding a layer of polish. If you’re a longtime fan of em dashes, keep using the punctuation you prefer. But the ideas, opinions, and frameworks should come from you, with all their nuance intact.