AI detection startup Pangram raises $9M, partners with Substack to flag AI-written newsletters
Pangram has secured $9 million in funding to expand its AI detection capabilities, which now include a new tool for identifying AI-generated images. The company is collaborating with Substack to inform readers when authors use AI to produce their newsletters. CEO Max Spero explains that distinguishing AI output from human work is more complex than a simple real-or-fake test.
Pangram’s new $9 million round will accelerate work on AI detection, extending beyond text to a fresh tool aimed at spotting AI-generated images. The partnership with Substack marks a practical deployment: readers of newsletters on the platform may be alerted when authors have used AI in writing. CEO Max Spero stresses that the challenge isn’t a binary real-or-fake label, but a nuanced spectrum of human-machine collaboration. The funding signals growing commercial interest in verification tools as generative AI becomes widespread in publishing and creative work.
This development could reshape trust in online writing, giving readers a clearer signal about authorship while pressuring creators to disclose AI use. Publishers and independent writers may face new expectations for transparency, and the tool’s success could influence how platforms handle AI-generated content broadly. However, detection methods are imperfect, and false positives or workarounds may create friction. The impact likely hinges on how accurately and fairly the system operates in real-world, varied writing styles.