Deep Research is a great tool when we're working on competitive analysis, or market research. But not every topic has to be serious. Some are just things we’re curious about.

This one started when I noticed how often ChatGPT uses em dashes in my own work, and how they had become a hot topic on LinkedIn with a debate over whether they are an AI signal or the mark of prose and formal writing.

So we turned it into a Deep Research topic. Did em dash use really increase after ChatGPT launched? Was it different in the UK and the US? And if so, why?

The results are interesting. Em dashes have become more common, especially in blogs and posts. AI leans on them because they’re flexible and easy for a machine to use, while for humans they are fiddly to type. That alone might explain the change. You can find out more in the blog post. And the Deep Research PDFs are below if you want to dive into the findings.

What is your experience of em dashes? Do you find them an annoying AI tell, or they an important part of prose that needs to be preserved? I'd love to hear your comments.

And if you have something you're curious about, start a new post in this topic. It's a great place to chat about how to approach Deep Research. If I pick up your question as a research topic for a future blog, I'll send you a free copy of Don't Surrender Your Thinking as a thank you.