The internet has a trust problem—and it's not just because social media feeds are filling up with AI slop. AI-generated text and images are now creeping into job applications, product reviews, and even insurance claims, leaving platforms and users alike scrambling to figure out what's real.
A handful of startups have emerged over the past couple of years to become the 'trust layer' the internet needs—including Pangram. The startup recently secured $9 million for its AI detection system and landed a partnership with Substack, which now uses Pangram's technology to show readers which of their favorite authors use AI to write their newsletters. Pangram has also released a new AI image detection tool.
On this episode of TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Pangram co-founder and CEO Max Spero joins Rebecca Bellan to dig into the promise of AI detection tools and where to draw the line between AI-assisted and AI-generated content.
Listen to the full episode to hear more about:
- Why Spero thinks the internet could be 'dangerously close' to the dead internet theory becoming reality within a few years.
- Why figuring out how much AI went into something is harder—and potentially more useful—than simply labeling it AI or human.
- The stakes of getting AI detection wrong, especially when false positives involve sensitive images.
- Why Spero thinks the 'bottom tier' of writing jobs may be gone for good, while genuinely good human writing could become more valuable.
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