122 Tech claim verifications avg. score 5.5/10 59 rated true or mostly true 62 rated false or misleading
“Social media platforms are deliberately designed to be addictive for children.”
The claim is partially true but overstated. Peer-reviewed research confirms social media platforms use engagement-maximizing features — infinite scroll, algorithmic personalization, dopamine-driven feedback loops — that produce addiction-like behaviors in adolescents. However, the claim that these features were "deliberately designed to be addictive for children" specifically implies proven, child-targeted intent that goes beyond what current evidence establishes. Legal cases alleging this remain unresolved, companies deny the characterization, and the documented designs target all users' engagement, not children specifically.
“Artificial intelligence poses a risk of causing human extinction.”
The claim that AI poses a risk of causing human extinction is supported by credible sources, including peer-reviewed research, the International AI Safety Report 2026, and statements signed by hundreds of leading AI scientists. Even skeptical analyses (e.g., Brookings) do not deny the risk exists — they argue it is speculative and should not dominate policy priorities. The claim is accurate as a statement about the existence of a recognized risk, but readers should understand that no established scientific consensus quantifies this risk as probable or imminent.