Watch a subscriber-only conversation unpacking our new series, "The New Conspiracy Age," and how this moment is changing science and technology. Everything is a conspiracy theory now. Watch a discussion with our editors and Mike Rothschild, journalist and conspiracy theory expert, about how we can make sense of them all. What it's like to be in the middle of a conspiracy theory (according to a conspiracy theory expert) It's surprisingly easy to stumble into a relationship with an AI chatbot Rhiannon Williams OpenAI's new LLM exposes the secrets of how AI really works Will Douglas Heaven It's surprisingly easy to stumble into a relationship with an AI chatbot The idea that machines will be as smart as--or smarter than--humans has hijacked an entire industry. But look closely and you'll see it's a myth that persists for many of the same reasons conspiracies do. The experimental model won't compete with the biggest and best, but it could tell us why they behave in weird ways--and how trustworthy they really are.

Everything is a conspiracy theory now. Conspiracists are all over the White House, turning fringe ideas into dangerous policy. America's institutions are crumbling under the weight of deep suspicion and the lasting effects of covid isolation. Online echo chambers are getting harder to escape, and generative AI is altering the fabric of truth. A mix of technology and politics has given an unprecedented boost to once-fringe ideas--but they are pretty much the same fantasies that have been spreading for hundreds of years. MIT Technology Review helps break down how this moment is changing science and technology--and how we can make it through.