Wow, so a friend asked ChatGPT how the phrase "conspiracy theory" was developed, and it gave a very 4chan/Q-adjacent response. I found the AP article that referenced the NYT 1863 reference, but on digging deeper, it was clear that their author hadn't read the source the linked to either.
So I found that source (a response to the letter that the AP lazily linked to), but then asked Bard for the origins of the term.
Holy shit, we're doomed. Expensive generators of obfuscated bullshit.
@danlyke links to everything please. So many stories like this, so hard to reproduce.
@jonn Dropped the bits in the comments in the link at
https://www.flutterby.com/archives/comments/30602.html
Of course friend, who's kinda conspiracy-theory/right-wing-media adjacent already, is using this as a "well, the CIA popularized the term to discredit activists" talking point now, even when presented with historical facts...
@jonn also, earlier from Bard, screenshot:
https://www.flutterby.com/archives/comments/30578.html
and related to my digging deeper on that, the problem with using Google front page generally for sourcing:
https://www.flutterby.com/archives/comments/30579.html
@jonn and thank you for getting me to log this stuff. It's gonna be good to keep a record when I have to say, again, "I told y'all".
@danlyke I use the whole stack daily! It requires understanding of the tools, but it was a transformative experience for me
@jonn yeah, I've been resistant to playing with these things because every time I start to do something with them, I run up against stuff like this. To the point where my skepticism is a running gag in the office.
But an office-mate keeps asking ChatGPT for Cocoa programming answers, and keeps getting made-up API calls, but he claims that after a bit of dialoguing it's actually eventually giving him usable direction. I remain side-eye.