The program tracks how media revolutions throughout history have consistently carried dual consequences for society. While the invention of the printing press helped drive the Enlightenment, it also actively facilitated widespread witch-hunting panics throughout Europe. This pattern persisted into the twentieth century, when the Nazi regime harnessed radio broadcasts for mass persuasion, and later when modern social platforms evolved into instruments of dictator control. The episode concludes by examining how emerging artificial intelligence technologies could potentially shape the next generation of conspiracy theories.
Key points
Communication tools historically intended for enlightenment have repeatedly facilitated m…: Communication tools historically intended for enlightenment have repeatedly facilitated mass societal hysteria.
Dictators successfully repurposed twentieth-century radio and modern social platforms for…: Dictators successfully repurposed twentieth-century radio and modern social platforms for widespread public persuasion.
Emerging artificial intelligence systems pose new questions regarding the future spread o…: Emerging artificial intelligence systems pose new questions regarding the future spread of conspiracy theories.
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Deja Vu
Did a secret book fuel a witch-hunting frenzy in Europe?
In the latest episode of Deja Vu, we trace how new media fuelled conspiracy theories, from European witch-hunts to AI.
Here’s how conspiracy theories shaped the last 600 years. The printing press helped spread European witch-hunts even as it helped usher in the Enlightenment. The Nazis turned radio into a weapon of mass persuasion. Social media promised freedom but gave dictators new tools of control. We trace centuries of conspiracy theories – and ask what artificial intelligence could bring next.
In this episode:
- Aya Labanieh (@ayafrankenstein), writer and academic
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Mohamed Hassan, Marcos Bartolome, Marthe van der Wolf and Sonia Bhagat and was edited by Alexandra Locke. Our engagement producer is Adam Abou-Gad. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan.
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