Pangram’s Max Spero: Detecting AI is tougher than spotting real versus fake
| Source: TechCrunch | Original article
Pangram’s chief technology officer, Max Spero, warned that detecting AI‑generated content is turning out to be far more complex than a simple “real‑or‑fake” test. Speaking to the press, Spero said the surge of machine‑written text and synthetic images is now spilling over into everyday transactions – from job applications and product reviews to insurance claims – and is eroding confidence in online information.
The problem, he explained, is not just the volume of AI “slop” crowding social‑media feeds, but the sophistication of the output. Modern models can mimic human style, embed subtle cues and even tailor content to specific contexts, making conventional detection tools that rely on obvious artefacts increasingly ineffective. As a result, platforms and users are left scrambling to verify authenticity, a situation that threatens both consumer trust and the integrity of digital marketplaces.
The stakes are high. Misidentified AI content can lead to wrongful hiring decisions, skewed consumer ratings and fraudulent insurance payouts, while over‑zealous filters risk suppressing legitimate speech. Spero’s comments highlight a gap that industry and regulators are only beginning to address.
What to watch next are the emerging solutions and policy moves aimed at closing that gap. Researchers are experimenting with watermarking, provenance tracking and multimodal analysis, while governments in the Nordics and beyond are drafting guidelines for AI‑generated disclosures. Close monitoring of any standards‑setting initiatives from bodies such as the European AI Alliance, as well as the rollout of next‑generation detection APIs from major cloud providers, will indicate whether the trust problem can be tamed before it spreads further.
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