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A deep investigation into AI washing — the practice of falsely or misleadingly claiming AI capabilities to attract investors, customers, and talent. Using case studies including the Nate shopping app fraud (where hundreds of human workers secretly fulfilled orders), Amazon's Just Walk Out technology, DoNotPay's 'robot lawyer,' and Apple Intelligence, the piece documents how pervasive the problem is. It covers the scale of deception (40% of self-described AI startups have no ML in production), the growing regulatory crackdown by the SEC, FTC, DOJ, and EU, and provides practical frameworks for consumers to evaluate AI claims. It also examines the systemic financial risk posed by AI hype, with over $202 billion in VC funding flowing into AI in 2025 alone, and proposes structural reforms including mandatory technical disclosure, standardised definitions, third-party auditing, and proportionate penalties.

The Great AI Confidence Trick: How to Spot the Fakes in a World Drowning in Hype

Exploring the intersections of artificial intelligence, decentralised cognition, posthuman ethics, society and culture.