How AGI became the most consequential conspiracy theory of our time

Will Douglas Heaven

MIT Technology Review, October 30, 2025

Abstract

Artificial general intelligence (AGI) has become a central and consequential narrative within the tech industry, exhibiting characteristics akin to a conspiracy theory. Originating as a fringe concept, AGI gained mainstream acceptance through conferences, influential figures, and a blend of techno-utopian and techno-dystopian predictions. The concept lacks a precise definition, allowing for a flexible, undebunkable nature and constantly shifting timelines for its arrival. Belief in AGI often involves elements of magical thinking, a pursuit of hidden truths, and a desire for transcendence, mirroring religious imaginaries. This pervasive belief has critical implications, including the diversion of immense financial and intellectual resources away from tangible problems, the distortion of real technological risks, and the promotion of complacency regarding complex global challenges. Fundamentally, the myth of AGI serves the strategic and financial interests of powerful tech companies and their leaders. – AI-generated abstract.

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It’s this myth that’s the root of the AGI conspiracy. A smarter-than-human machine that can do it all is not a technology. It’s a dream, unmoored from reality. Once you see that, other parallels with conspiracy thinking start to leap out.