Are conspiracy theories getting worse because of AI?

Yes—AI is making conspiracy theories worse, mainly by making them cheaper to create, more convincing, and easier to spread.

What AI adds:

• Deepfakes can supply fake “proof” in image, audio, or video form.
• LLMs can churn out endless versions of the same claim and flood feeds.
• Targeting tools can tailor messages to a person’s fears or beliefs.
• Bot networks can make fringe ideas look widely accepted.

What AI doesn’t do: it doesn’t create the underlying problem. Conspiracy beliefs still feed on distrust, polarization, uncertainty, and the need for simple explanations.

One extra effect is the “liar’s dividend”: real evidence can be waved away as “AI,” which makes trust in everything harder.

So the short answer is: yes, AI is amplifying conspiracy theories—but it’s amplifying an existing problem, not inventing it.