Substack announced in July 2026 that it is rolling out an AI detection tool to help readers identify whether posts, notes, replies, and comments on the platform may have been written by AI or with AI assistance.
The tool is powered by Pangram, an AI detection company, and is now available on Substack’s web platform and iOS app. An Android version is expected to launch “soon.” Readers can use the feature on any content longer than 100 words by selecting “Scan for AI text” from the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of a post.
Substack co-founder and CEO Chris Best said the integration is intended to address a trust gap between readers and writers as AI-generated content becomes more prevalent on social media. “The core problem is not people using AI, or the quality of its output,” Best wrote in a blog post. “The problem is when there is a mismatch between a reader’s expectation and reality, especially when they unwittingly invest their attention in something with no human thought on the other end. That’s Claudefishing.”
Alongside the detection feature, Substack is introducing a “How I make this” statement that allows creators to describe their writing process to readers. Writers will also be able to scan their own drafts with Pangram before publishing and will have the option to report results they believe are inaccurate.
Best acknowledged the tool’s limitations, noting that “Pangram can only detect whether AI was used to make the text, not whether great human care went into creating it, nor whether AI tools were used as a source.”
The move may carry implications for writers who rely on Substack for income. “When readers have to wonder if what they’re reading is real, it undermines trust in authorship and threatens the livelihood of writers,” Best wrote. “Platforms that reward fakeness will create a race to the bottom.”
Source: The Verge