Paul Graham: AI-Written Founder Emails 'Feel Like Being Lied To' — Never Finishes Reading Them

Simon Willison / Paul Graham·medium signal

Y Combinator founder Paul Graham says he now identifies AI-written founder emails by their 'hard-hitting journalistic style' — a prose register no founder used before AI. He states he has never knowingly finished reading one, calling it dishonest and unimpressive since 'any teenager can do that.' Ohio State University research confirms recipients perceive AI-generated messages as lazy, eroding trust — a concrete signal for anyone using AI in professional outreach.