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Textual sleuths fight AI slop with Pangram

Updated Sep 2, 2026, 6:49pm EDT
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A photo of the Pangram UI
Pangram

Textual sleuths are waging a crusade against the AI-generated writing proliferating in publications and on the web with their favorite detection tool.

Pangram has recently been credited with helping implode a lucrative book deal and unmasking AI use at The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

After interviewing Pangram’s founder, writer Derek Thompson learned that generative text has a new tell: “Re-re-re-summarizing key points, as each new sentence strains to get a new gold star in being the most helpful takeaway sentence.”

While AI slop is worth cleaning up, Thompson said he fears “AI-writing witch hunts would be an unwelcome addition to online life.”

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