This is how I've used them. Or I'll just put -- as a place holder and use the replace all function to change them when I finish. Luckily I've never had anyone accuse me of AI writing but it's probably a matter of time. I think the use of em-dash as the "telltale sign" of AI is silly. They're just more often used in research, documentation, and academics which the AI is heavily trained on. Obviously when average reddit Joe uses them frequently it's a bit of a red flag, so the context of the writing is key here. The AI uses it because it is widely and commonly used by humans.