Pangram’s Max Spero on why AI detection is harder than ‘Real or Fake’

# Pangram's Max Spero on why AI detection is harder than 'Real or Fake' | TechCrunch Source: [https://techcrunch.com/video/pangrams-max-spero-on-why-ai-detection-is-harder-than-real-or-fake/](https://techcrunch.com/video/pangrams-max-spero-on-why-ai-detection-is-harder-than-real-or-fake/) 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](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\. Watch 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\. Subscribe 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\. Theresa Loconsolo is an audio producer at TechCrunch focusing on Equity, the network’s 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](mailto:[email protected])\. [View Bio](https://techcrunch.com/author/theresa-loconsolo/) ## Most Popular ### Newsletters Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news ## Related