A recent study by Pangram Labs examined AI usage in corporate press releases distributed through PR Newswire, the nation’s largest syndication service for SEC‑required disclosures. Scanning 178,672 English releases published between August 2025 and July 2026, the researchers discovered that AI‑generated text appeared in 48% of the June 2026 releases – a dramatic rise from just 22% a year earlier.
Rapid growth and industry differences
The share of releases containing AI‑generated content has doubled in the past twelve months, climbing from 22% in August 2025 to a peak of 48% in June 2026. Among the flagged releases, 25% were fully AI‑generated while the remaining 75% combined human and AI writing. The median AI contribution for flagged releases was 52% of the text.
Word counts also grew. The median length of AI‑enhanced releases rose about 15%, from 488 words a year ago to 562 words today. In July 2026, fully human‑written releases averaged 521 words, whereas releases with any AI content averaged 601 words.
Sector‑specific patterns
AI adoption varies sharply by industry. Finance, energy and biotechnology showed the lowest AI usage, with fewer than 5% of their releases fully AI‑generated. Advertising topped the list, with 41% of its releases fully AI‑generated and 64% containing AI text overall.
One notable advertiser, HelloNation, produced 2,265 releases in the dataset; 2,198 (97%) were fully AI‑generated. Smaller‑business sectors displayed higher AI rates than established firms. For example, financial‑technology startups (n=1,526) had a 44% AI contribution rate, with 12% fully AI‑generated, while traditional banking and financial services (n=8,817) showed a 25% AI contribution rate and only 7% fully AI‑generated.
Impact on budget‑friendly wires
Two lower‑cost distribution platforms, PRWeb and Newswire.com, which cater to small and midsized businesses, exhibited AI contribution rates nearly double those of PR Newswire. This suggests that cost‑sensitive firms are turning to AI to produce high‑volume communications quickly and cheaply.
Quality concerns and regulatory implications
While AI can generate polished, grammatical text at low cost, experts warn of potential downsides. AI‑written releases may feel impersonal, formulaic, or lack the dense information required for SEC filings. Errors introduced by AI could have legal ramifications for companies that rely on these releases for regulatory compliance.
Readers also report growing fatigue with AI‑specific phrasing such as “quietly” or “delve,” which can erode trust in corporate communications. The sheer volume of low‑information AI text may dilute the signal of professional announcements, especially for smaller local businesses that depend on clear, concise messaging.
Methodology and accuracy
Pangram’s analysis used a four‑dataset approach, including a primary census of PR Newswire releases longer than 100 words and supplemental data from a prior academic corpus covering 2022‑2024. The false‑positive rate for AI detection was 0.0046%, indicating high confidence in the findings.
None of the examined distribution services require AI disclosure, and PR Newswire itself markets an AI writing tool while stating it does not tag releases for AI usage.
What this means for businesses
For companies, the data underscores the need to balance efficiency gains from AI with the responsibility to maintain accuracy, transparency, and credibility in public disclosures. As AI tools become more accessible, businesses—especially small‑scale enterprises—should consider implementing review processes to ensure AI‑generated content meets regulatory standards and preserves the trust of investors, partners, and the public.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
