A public-facing resource that cuts through "AI Hype"
Based on an Undergraduate Seminar:
Language, Power, and Technology
(NYU Spring 2026)
Course designed by:
Dr.Renée Blake (Professor, NYU), Dr.Zack Jaggers (Industry Researcher),
Alden McCollum (Graduate Assistant)
Site design led by:
Undergraduate students Saher Prakash and Olivia Reese
You may have heard one or more of the following phrases:
“AI is replacing humans”
“AI will become conscious”
“AI is rotting our brains”
"AI is taking over the world”
"AI is the future of innovation”
Hype is overblown statements or reactions about what ‘Artificial Intelligence’ is, and what it really means for us as humans. It often reflects ‘Doomer’ and ‘Booster’ framings, or two sides of the same coin: Fear it because of its power, or adopt it because it’s so amazing you can’t resist.
You're here to decode the hype.
Examples of AI Hype
Guidance for decoding AI hype
Sources for diving deeper
Definitions of terminology relevant to AI
(Click the underlined words for the definition!)
Follow this guide to ask the right questions...
What is being said?
What is extreme about it?
Who is saying it?
Who is the target audience?
How does the source benefit from the model/claim(s)?
Who else benefits?
Who is potentially harmed by it?
Does evidence support the claim(s)? At present (not in some hypothetical or ideal world)?
Does anyone corroborate the claim(s)?
What is the reliability, expertise, or credentials of people making the claim(s)?
What incentives do supporters or platformers of the claim(s) have?