Conspiracy Theories Arise After Sudden Death of Famous Actor... What If Someone Close Is Deeply Invested? [Conspiracy Theory Business]

④ Interviews with Three Experts


"It is human nature to turn to conspiracy theories when our needs go unmet"

"Conspiracy theories can be prevented before they spread through prebunking"

"In an era where conspiracy theories transcen

Editor's NoteUnidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), the theory that Bill Gates is attempting to control humanity, and idols supposedly taking orders from Satan—unverified conspiracy theories have existed throughout every era and in all regions. They feed on social anxiety and distrust, constantly evolving to fit the technological environment of the times. The rise of the Internet has dramatically accelerated the spread of conspiracy theories, erasing national boundaries. With the addition of generative artificial intelligence (AI), even the line between fact and fiction is becoming increasingly blurred. Conspiracy theories have evolved beyond irrational superstition or internet urban legends. They are growing into a full-fledged industry, supported by views, donations, paid communities, and product sales. The Asia Business Daily takes an in-depth look at the 'conspiracy theory business' through examples from South Korea, the United States, and Japan.

The cross-border movement and localization of conspiracy theories means that, regardless of country, many people are coming to view them as legitimate. Why are people drawn to conspiracy theories, and how can we respond? Leading scholars specializing in conspiracy theory research told The Asia Business Daily in interviews that "conspiracy theories are not a problem for only certain groups, but a phenomenon anyone can fall into." They further advised that "enhancing society’s overall immunity to misinformation is most important."

Person caught in a conspiracy theory. Photo by Getty Images

Conspiracy Theories: "People Believe to Fulfill Needs"

First, Karen Douglas, a professor of social psychology at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, told The Asia Business Daily in a written interview, "People are drawn to conspiracy theories when their basic psychological needs are unmet." Professor Douglas is a leading authority in the study of the psychological mechanisms underlying belief in conspiracy theories.

According to Professor Douglas, there are three unmet needs that draw people to conspiracy theories. The first is an epistemic need—the desire to know the truth and to achieve clarity and certainty. The second is an existential need—the desire to feel safe and in control of one’s environment. The third is a social need—the motivation to maintain self-esteem and to view one's group positively.

Professor Douglas pointed out, "Ultimately, this perspective implies that anyone can become susceptible to conspiracy theories, given the right circumstances." She added that this is one reason why conspiracy theories often appear in the wake of events such as assassination attempts, the sudden death of a public figure, important elections, or pandemics. Humans, she explained, are naturally driven to understand what is happening around them and have difficulty tolerating uncertainty. As a result, people are not satisfied with simple explanations and become convinced that hidden truths or larger events are at play beyond what they know.

This makes it difficult to persuade conspiracy theorists. Professor Douglas likened ardent believers to "people who have already done their homework," stating, "They have usually been exposed to far more information about the topic than the average person." For this reason, when engaging in conversation with a strong believer in conspiracy theories, "not only is it hard to change their mind, but keeping the conversation going at all can seem nearly impossible." These individuals have built up a body of material and logic over time, "so it feels as if they are always one step ahead of you in the discussion." Moreover, "the stronger the argument against them, the more likely they are to believe the critic is part of the conspiracy itself."

Building Immunity Against Conspiracy Theories: A Community Effort

As a solution, experts argue that it's more effective to build a society that resists deception in the first place, rather than attempting to correct misinformation after it's spread.

First, Sander van der Linden, professor of social psychology at the University of Cambridge, emphasized the importance of prevention: "Once you are exposed to a conspiracy theory, even if it is later corrected with accurate information, it continues to affect our memory. You can't unring a bell."

The solution Professor van der Linden suggested is 'prebunking'—an approach that aims to alert people to possible falsehoods or conspiracies before they spread, thereby making them less susceptible to misinformation. "Experiments conducted on social media platforms found that even a single intervention could improve response capability by 10 to 20 percent," he explained, describing prebunking as a cost-efficient and scalable strategy.

Led by Editor-in-Chief Daisuke Furuta, the Japan Fact-Check Center (JFC) is also adopting prebunking strategies. In 2022, JFC published a fact check on the U.S.-originated "chemtrail" conspiracy theory, reporting that the claim "a secret government is dispersing harmful chemicals through airplane contrails" is false. As that article appeared in top search results, Japanese Internet users searching for "chemtrail" could first encounter information stating, "This is a conspiracy theory. Meteorologists explain that it occurs due to atmospheric conditions."

How, then, can an individual already drawn in by conspiracy theories be persuaded? Based on lectures to the public, Editor-in-Chief Furuta advised that it is important to help people realize contradictions in the information themselves. "If you outright deny their claim as incorrect, people often take it as a personal rejection," he explained. "This may lead them to seek additional evidence to support their belief and become even more deeply convinced of the conspiracy."

According to Furuta, instead of attempting to refute the other person's claims, it is more effective to ask questions like, "Where did you hear that?" or "How did you come to believe it?" During this process of reflection, people are given an opportunity to discover logical contradictions on their own. He emphasized that these small cracks can serve as a starting point for breaking out of conspiracy thinking.

However, experts unanimously agreed that addressing conspiracy theories and misinformation will become increasingly challenging. The development of generative AI now enables anyone to easily create convincing false content, and social networks allow for real-time viral spread. As such, they argued that strategies for countering conspiracy theories must also evolve accordingly.

Professor van der Linden warned, "AI can generate plausible and persuasive conspiracy theories and even tailor them to the characteristics of different groups." He cautioned that, "In the future, 'AI swarms'—autonomous AIs weaponized by malicious actors—and 'cyborg propaganda'—collaborations between AIs and humans—may emerge as new threats."

The proliferation and reproduction of conspiracy theories and misinformation across borders is another hallmark of the AI era. Editor-in-Chief Furuta stated, "The JFC works with local fact-checkers in the Middle East to verify Middle Eastern misinformation circulating in Japan, and shares information with counterparts in Taiwan to jointly address falsehoods spreading simultaneously in both countries." He emphasized, "Because conspiracy theories transcend borders, our response must also evolve on a cross-border scale."

Professor van der Linden called for collective societal effort. "Both top-down government regulation and bottom-up efforts to build media literacy are necessary," he explained. "For example, in Finland, media literacy education on misinformation begins in school from age four, while Taiwan has proactively introduced prebunking strategies to combat China-originated deepfakes." He concluded, "Ultimately, it takes government-level institutional support, education, and corporate responsibility from platforms to truly strengthen society’s immunity to misinformation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.