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Max Spero

Max Spero is co-founder and CEO of Pangram Labs[1], a Brooklyn-based startup focused on detecting AI-generated content[2][3]. Spero studied artificial intelligence at Stanford University, earning both a bachelor's degree in computer science[13] and a master's degree in computer science with a focus on artificial intelligence[12]. Before founding Pangram Labs in September 2023[4], he worked as a software engineer at Google from May 2019 to January 2022[6] and as a senior software engineer at Nuro from February 2022 to September 2023[5]. Earlier in his career, he completed software engineering internships at Yelp[8][9] and Two Sigma[7], as well as other technical roles[10][11].

Founded

Insights & ideas

Max Spero argues that AI detection should be built around accuracy and trust rather than blunt suspicion, describing Pangram Labs' approach as analyzing the stylistic ticks and choices that AI tends to make more consistently than humans, then surfacing that as evidence for why a given text is or is not AI generated [1]. He is explicit that using AI is not inherently plagiarism or cheating in itself, and frames the real issue as students violating an instructor's stated boundaries, such as an assignment that explicitly asks for the student's own words [1].

He also positions his tool as a way to resolve a tension he sees playing out on campuses, where students fear false accusations while faculty feel they have no way to know where student writing actually came from [1]. Spero notes that many faculty and staff already understand that older AI detection systems carry bias against non-native English speakers and produce higher false positive rates, and he presents Pangram's improved accuracy as the reason skeptics become convinced once they try it [1].

Experience

  1. Cofounder & CEO
    Pangram LabsSep 2023 to Present
  2. Senior Software Engineer
    NuroFeb 2022 to Sep 2023
  3. Software Engineer
    GoogleMay 2019 to Jan 2022
  4. Software Engineering Intern
    Two SigmaJun 2018 to Aug 2018
  5. Software Engineering Intern
    YelpJun 2017 to Sep 2017
  6. Software Engineering Intern
    YelpJun 2016 to Sep 2016
  7. Software Developer
    Stanford Virtual Human Interaction LabSep 2015 to Jun 2016
  8. Controls Engineering Intern
    WET (Design)Jun 2015 to Aug 2015

Education

Media & appearances

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