Dark Future: Development and Initial Validation of Artificial Intelligence Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (AICBS)
Abstract Background In the past few years, the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and its success in many areas of everyday life have attracted global attention. Some discussions have noted that generative AI tools can make decisions on their own with the potential to improve themselv...
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Wiley
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Brain and Behavior |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.70648 |
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| author | Chung‐Ying Lin Julia Brailovskaia Servet Üztemur Ali Gökalp Nail Değirmenci Po‐Ching Huang I‐Hua Chen Mark D. Griffiths Amir H. Pakpour |
| author_facet | Chung‐Ying Lin Julia Brailovskaia Servet Üztemur Ali Gökalp Nail Değirmenci Po‐Ching Huang I‐Hua Chen Mark D. Griffiths Amir H. Pakpour |
| author_sort | Chung‐Ying Lin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background In the past few years, the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and its success in many areas of everyday life have attracted global attention. Some discussions have noted that generative AI tools can make decisions on their own with the potential to improve themselves. Subsequently, conspiracy theories have emerged concerning the future implications of AI. In the present study, the Artificial Intelligence Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (AICBS) was developed to assess conspiracy beliefs concerning AI, andits psychometric properties were examined. Methods A cross‐sectional survey was conducted with 788 Turkish participants (Mage = 25.10 years, 56% female). The sample was split to carry out an exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 423) and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 365), resulting in a 30‐item scale comprising five subdimensions. Results The five‐factor structure explained 62.58% of the total variance. The CFA showed acceptable model fit indices and confirmed the EFA's five‐factor structure. Based on the EFA's factor loadings, a short five‐item version of the AICBS (AICBS‐5) was developed with one item from each subdimension (which explained 45.28% of the variance). The CFA confirmed the unidimensional structure of the AICBS‐5. The internal consistency coefficients of the AICBS, its subdimensions, and the AICBS‐5 demonstrated very good reliability. Correlation analyses with external criterion measures (AI Anxiety Scale, Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale‐5, and Anomie) supported the concurrent validity of the AICBS, its subdimensions, and the AICBS‐5. Conclusion The findings demonstrate that both AICBS and AICBS‐5 are valid and reliable psychometric instruments to assess AI conspiracy beliefs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4e0084b08a2f45119443901f874bd793 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2162-3279 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain and Behavior |
| spelling | doaj-art-4e0084b08a2f45119443901f874bd7932025-08-20T03:18:02ZengWileyBrain and Behavior2162-32792025-07-01157n/an/a10.1002/brb3.70648Dark Future: Development and Initial Validation of Artificial Intelligence Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (AICBS)Chung‐Ying Lin0Julia Brailovskaia1Servet Üztemur2Ali Gökalp3Nail Değirmenci4Po‐Ching Huang5I‐Hua Chen6Mark D. Griffiths7Amir H. Pakpour8Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine National Cheng Kung University Tainan TaiwanMental Health Research and Treatment Center Ruhr‐Universität Bochum Bochum GermanyDepartment of Turkish and Social Sciences Education, Faculty of Education Anadolu University Eskişehir TürkiyeDepartment of Educational Sciences Gaziantep University Gaziantep TürkiyeInstitute of Educational Sciences Gazi University Ankara TürkiyeDepartment of Physiotherapy, School of Nursing and Health Sciences Hong Kong Metropolitan University Hong Kong ChinaChinese Academy of Education Big Data, Faculty of Education Qufu Normal University Qufu ChinaInternational Gaming Research Unit, Psychology Department Nottingham Trent University Nottingham UKDepartment of Nursing, School of Health and Welfare Jönköping University, Hälsohögskolan Jönköping SwedenAbstract Background In the past few years, the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and its success in many areas of everyday life have attracted global attention. Some discussions have noted that generative AI tools can make decisions on their own with the potential to improve themselves. Subsequently, conspiracy theories have emerged concerning the future implications of AI. In the present study, the Artificial Intelligence Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (AICBS) was developed to assess conspiracy beliefs concerning AI, andits psychometric properties were examined. Methods A cross‐sectional survey was conducted with 788 Turkish participants (Mage = 25.10 years, 56% female). The sample was split to carry out an exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 423) and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 365), resulting in a 30‐item scale comprising five subdimensions. Results The five‐factor structure explained 62.58% of the total variance. The CFA showed acceptable model fit indices and confirmed the EFA's five‐factor structure. Based on the EFA's factor loadings, a short five‐item version of the AICBS (AICBS‐5) was developed with one item from each subdimension (which explained 45.28% of the variance). The CFA confirmed the unidimensional structure of the AICBS‐5. The internal consistency coefficients of the AICBS, its subdimensions, and the AICBS‐5 demonstrated very good reliability. Correlation analyses with external criterion measures (AI Anxiety Scale, Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale‐5, and Anomie) supported the concurrent validity of the AICBS, its subdimensions, and the AICBS‐5. Conclusion The findings demonstrate that both AICBS and AICBS‐5 are valid and reliable psychometric instruments to assess AI conspiracy beliefs.https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.70648artificial intelligenceartificial intelligence conspiracy theoriesconspiracy theoriesgenerative artificial intelligencepsychometric testingscale development |
| spellingShingle | Chung‐Ying Lin Julia Brailovskaia Servet Üztemur Ali Gökalp Nail Değirmenci Po‐Ching Huang I‐Hua Chen Mark D. Griffiths Amir H. Pakpour Dark Future: Development and Initial Validation of Artificial Intelligence Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (AICBS) Brain and Behavior artificial intelligence artificial intelligence conspiracy theories conspiracy theories generative artificial intelligence psychometric testing scale development |
| title | Dark Future: Development and Initial Validation of Artificial Intelligence Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (AICBS) |
| title_full | Dark Future: Development and Initial Validation of Artificial Intelligence Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (AICBS) |
| title_fullStr | Dark Future: Development and Initial Validation of Artificial Intelligence Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (AICBS) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dark Future: Development and Initial Validation of Artificial Intelligence Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (AICBS) |
| title_short | Dark Future: Development and Initial Validation of Artificial Intelligence Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (AICBS) |
| title_sort | dark future development and initial validation of artificial intelligence conspiracy beliefs scale aicbs |
| topic | artificial intelligence artificial intelligence conspiracy theories conspiracy theories generative artificial intelligence psychometric testing scale development |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.70648 |
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