We’re ‘dangerously close’ to dead internet theory, says Pangram’s CEO
The internet has a trust problem, andit’snot just because social media feeds are filling up with AIslop. 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 outwhat’sreal. A handful of startups have cropped up in the past couple of []
Were ‘dangerously close’ to dead internet theory, says Pangrams CEO | TechCrunch
Were ‘dangerously close’ to dead internet theory, says Pangrams CEO
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.
A 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 for its AI detection system and landed a partnership with Substack, 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.
On this episode of TechCrunchs 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.
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.
Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.
Rebecca Bellan is a senior reporter at TechCrunch where she covers the business, policy, and emerging trends shaping artificial intelligence. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, Bloomberg, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, and other publications.
You can contact or verify outreach from Rebecca by emailing rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com or via encrypted message at rebeccabellan.491 on Signal.
Theresa Loconsolo is an audio producer at TechCrunch focusing on Equity, the networks flagship podcast. Before joining TechCrunch in 2022, she was one of 2 producers at a four-station conglomerate where she wrote, recorded, voiced and edited content, and engineered live performances and interviews from guests like lovelytheband. Theresa is based in New Jersey and holds a bachelors degree in Communication from Monmouth University.
You can contact or verify outreach from Theresa by emailing theresa.loconsolo@techcrunch.com.
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