{"slug": "pangrams-max-spero-on-why-ai-detection-is-harder-than-real-or-fake", "title": "Pangram’s Max Spero on why AI detection is harder than ‘Real or Fake’", "summary": "Pangram co-founder and CEO Max Spero discussed the challenges of AI detection on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, noting that distinguishing AI-generated content is harder than a simple 'Real or Fake' test. Pangram, which recently raised $9 million and partnered with Substack to identify AI-written newsletters, also launched a new AI image detection tool.", "body_md": "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 making their way into job applications, product reviews, and even insurance claims, leaving platforms and users alike scrambling to figure out what’s real.\n\nA handful of startups have cropped up in the past couple of years to become the “trust layer” the internet needs — including Pangram. The startup [recently snapped up $9 million](https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/29/as-ai-content-floods-the-internet-pangram-raises-9m-to-detect-it/) for its AI detection system and landed a [partnership with Substack](https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/22/substacks-new-tool-tells-you-whos-been-writing-their-newsletters-with-ai/), which is now using Pangram’s tech to show readers which of their favorite authors use AI to write their newsletters. Pangram also recently dropped a new AI image detection tool.\n\nWatch as Pangram co-founder and CEO Max Spero joins TechCrunch’s[ Equity](https://techcrunch.com/podcasts/equity/) podcast to dig into the promise of AI detection tools and where to draw the line between AI assisted and AI generated.\n\nSubscribe to Equity on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@TechCrunch),[ Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1215439780),[ Overcast](https://overcast.fm/itunes1215439780/equity),[ Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/5IEYLip3eDppcOmy5DmphC?si=rZDFHv2sQUul_g94iCRgpQ) and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on[ X](https://twitter.com/EquityPod) and[ Threads](https://www.threads.net/@equitypod), at @EquityPod.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/pangrams-max-spero-on-why-ai-detection-is-harder-than-real-or-fake", "canonical_source": "https://techcrunch.com/video/pangrams-max-spero-on-why-ai-detection-is-harder-than-real-or-fake/", "published_at": "2026-09-02 17:18:13+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-09-02 17:25:56.216269+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-products", "ai-startups"], "entities": ["Pangram", "Max Spero", "Substack", "TechCrunch", "Equity"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/pangrams-max-spero-on-why-ai-detection-is-harder-than-real-or-fake", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/pangrams-max-spero-on-why-ai-detection-is-harder-than-real-or-fake.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/pangrams-max-spero-on-why-ai-detection-is-harder-than-real-or-fake.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/pangrams-max-spero-on-why-ai-detection-is-harder-than-real-or-fake.jsonld"}}