5h ago

Y Combinator's Paul Graham warns that AI-generated emails from startup founders lose all impact once detected

Graham noted a telltale journalistic tone exposes these drafts

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Original post
OPPaul Graham#78Paul Graham@PAULG

A lot of the emails I get from founders are now written in a hard-hitting journalistic style. I know they're written by AI, because no founder ever wrote this way before. And once you realize something is written by AI, it's hard not to ignore it.

2:34 AM · May 25, 2026 View on X
REPLYPaul Graham#78Paul Graham@PAULG

I have never knowingly finished reading an email signed by a human but written by AI. It feels like being lied to, and who would stand for that?

Paul GrahamPaul Graham@paulg

A lot of the emails I get from founders are now written in a hard-hitting journalistic style. I know they're written by AI, because no founder ever wrote this way before. And once you realize something is written by AI, it's hard not to ignore it.

9:34 AM · May 25, 2026 · 268.8K Views
10:20 AM · May 25, 2026 · 40.7K Views
QUOTE POSTNataniel Ruiz#1562Nataniel Ruiz@NATANIELRUIZG

it’s so true that it’s hard not to ignore something written purely by AI.

Paul GrahamPaul Graham@paulg

A lot of the emails I get from founders are now written in a hard-hitting journalistic style. I know they're written by AI, because no founder ever wrote this way before. And once you realize something is written by AI, it's hard not to ignore it.

9:34 AM · May 25, 2026 · 268.8K Views
1:09 PM · May 25, 2026 · 664 Views