Substack has unveiled an intriguing new feature that can reveal whether your favourite newsletters are penned by humans or artificially intelligent systems. The integration with Pangram’s AI writing detection software aims to provide users with insights into the authenticity of content, but could it also undermine trust in the platform's high-quality ecosystem?

In the short term, this move might have a detrimental impact on Substack’s business model, as many newsletters may be flagged for heavy reliance on AI. However, proponents argue that such detection features can help maintain transparency and encourage more nuanced reading habits.

‘This is good use of AI,’ said Chris Best, CEO of Substack, highlighting the importance of human creativity in content creation. ‘We’ll do everything for you except the hard part: having an idea worth sharing.’

The feature will be available for any post, note, reply or comment over 100 characters, and writers can include a disclosure statement if they choose to use AI assistance. Substack also allows publishers to run Pangram on their drafts before publication, giving them the opportunity to correct any potential mistakes.