> What makes it sound overly AI are the semicolon and the timing
It's very disappointing that it now seems to be commonly believed that semicolons and em dashes are a sign of AI. Semicolons have been used as a useful tool for a long time; a comma here would simply be wrong.
I think the problem is the overuse compared to the times before ChatGPT. Same for furthermore, thus, delve and other words. Heck em dashes are so obscure that I doubt 1% of the population knows how to type it on their own keyboard.
Those heavily exposed to media before ChatGPT feel there's a shift on the way sentences and narratives are presented. We usually don't use that many semicolons because we structure our sentences not to use them, same for dashes or other weird constructs used by ChatGPT right now. It's hard to explain with words but there are a lot of tell signs when you start looking for them. And not even talking about the explicit ones like bullet points with "bold title:", one that really pulls the curtain open for me is the phrases that end with "one, two, and three of something". When you see it once it's hard to unsee it used everywhere, even on sites that are supposed to be user content only like here or reddit.
I agree. It's just sad for those of us who've always been fans of semicolons and em dashes and now have to risk looking like we're 'AI' or — worse — unthinkingly adopting the AI tone of voice.
It's very disappointing that it now seems to be commonly believed that semicolons and em dashes are a sign of AI. Semicolons have been used as a useful tool for a long time; a comma here would simply be wrong.