Some of Substack’s top writers rely on AI tools for writing help, study finds

The growing use of artificial intelligence tools in newsletter publishing is transforming how some of Substack’s most popular writers create and edit their content, raising questions about transparency and authenticity in digital publishing.

Key findings: An analysis by AI-detection startup GPTZero reveals that among Substack’s top 100 newsletters, 10 likely incorporate AI tools, with 7 showing significant AI dependence.

• The analysis focused on newsletters with the largest subscriber bases, many in the investment and personal finance sectors
• Several prominent newsletter authors have confirmed their use of AI tools in their content creation process
• The combined readership of these AI-assisted newsletters reaches hundreds of thousands of subscribers, including paying members

Current practices: Newsletter authors primarily employ AI as a supplementary tool rather than relying on it for complete content generation.

• David Skilling’s Original Football newsletter (630,000+ subscribers) utilizes AI as an editorial assistant
• Spotlight by Xartup’s Subham Panda (668,000+ subscribers) leverages AI for image creation and information aggregation
• Strategic Wealth Briefing’s Max Avery (549,000+ subscribers) uses AI to enhance draft quality
• Josh Belanger of Belanger Trading (350,000+ subscribers) incorporates both ChatGPT and Claude for writing and editing tasks

Platform policies: Substack maintains a notably hands-off approach to AI-generated content compared to other publishing platforms.

• The platform has not established formal guidelines regarding AI use
• There is no active monitoring or removal system for AI-generated content
• This stance contrasts with platforms like Medium, where AI content is more prevalent but often from smaller accounts

Industry implications: The integration of AI tools in newsletter publishing mirrors broader trends in traditional media while raising questions about content authenticity.

• The use of AI tools for content creation and editing is becoming increasingly normalized across various media formats
• Some platforms may begin implementing “AI-free” certifications to differentiate purely human-generated content
• The trend suggests a growing acceptance of AI as a collaborative tool in content creation rather than a replacement for human writers

Looking ahead: The expansion of AI use in newsletter publishing represents a significant shift in content creation, though questions remain about how this will affect reader trust and content quality in the long term. While some authors openly acknowledge their AI use, the lack of standardized disclosure practices could potentially impact subscriber relationships and the perceived value of paid newsletter content.