In 2026, the escalating war against professional disinformation operatives—those who specialize in crafting and disseminating fabricated narratives—has catalyzed the development of increasingly sophisticated detection tools. These technologies are democratizing the fight against false information, placing powerful verification capabilities directly into the hands of everyday users.
AI as Both Weapon and Shield
The landscape of information warfare has become paradoxical: while artificial intelligence is being weaponized to generate increasingly convincing false narratives at scale, it simultaneously represents our most potent defense mechanism for identifying and neutralizing these deceptions. Advanced AI-powered detection systems can now analyze patterns, inconsistencies, and metadata that would be imperceptible to human observers, creating a critical counterbalance to AI-generated misinformation.
The Liar’s Dividend: A Growing Threat to Truth
Neuropsychologists and information experts have raised alarm about the “Liar’s Dividend”—a deeply troubling societal phenomenon where the mere existence of sophisticated fake content becomes a tool for denying reality. This occurs when individuals exploit public awareness of AI-generated fakes to dismiss authentic evidence that threatens their interests, simply labeling inconvenient truths as “AI-generated” or “deepfakes” to evade accountability. This creates a dangerous epistemological crisis where legitimate evidence loses its power to establish truth.
The Neurobiology of Professional Deceivers
An emerging and fascinating field of research focuses on the “neurobiology of deception”—examining the distinct neurological characteristics of individuals who specialize in creating elaborate falsehoods. Preliminary studies suggest that those who excel at fabricating convincing narratives, or who compulsively engage in deception, may exhibit identifiable neural patterns that differentiate them from the general population.
Neuropsychologists should conduct comprehensive brain imaging and cognitive studies of individuals who have built careers around manufacturing disinformation—those who systematically create fictitious stories designed to manipulate, deceive, and exploit others. Understanding the neurological mechanisms underlying professional deception could help us in identify psychological and cognitive factors that enable prolific disinformation creation, developing targeted educational interventions, creating better detection algorithms informed by human deceptive patterns and understanding the pathology behind compulsive fabrication
Case Study: Debunking Mount Kailash Myths
THe details on myths is an illuminating example of combating manufactured mysticism through scientific explanation. People should dismantles viral myths and pseudoscientific claims that have proliferated around this sacred mountain. The so-called “mysteries”—such as climbers experiencing “disorientation,” sensing “invisible forces,” or reporting supernatural intervention—are actually misrepresented symptoms of high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), a well-documented medical condition caused by oxygen deprivation at extreme elevations. These physiological realities are deliberately reframed as supernatural phenomena by content creators seeking views, engagement, or the manipulation of religious and spiritual beliefs. Many viral “mysteries” are not unexplained phenomena at all, but rather carefully fabricated stories engineered to exploit cognitive biases, generate clicks, or advance ideological agendas.
The Professionalization of Misinformation
We must recognize that disinformation and misinformation have become specialized professions. Certain individuals and organizations have developed sophisticated expertise in crafting emotionally manipulative narratives, exploiting cultural and religious sentiments, manufacturing pseudoscientific “evidence”, gaming social media algorithms for maximum reach and building profitable ecosystems around false information.
AI as an Accountability Tool
While AI is being misused by bad actors, it simultaneously serves as our most powerful instrument for identifying and exposing those who have systematically misguided masses through unscientific, fabricated stories. Machine learning algorithms can now trace the origin and spread patterns of false narratives, identify coordinated inauthentic behavior, detect manipulated media with increasing accuracy, cross-reference claims against verified databases instantaneously, eveal networks of misinformation operatives.
AI and neuropsychological analysis are becoming vital tools to identify those who "specialized in creating stories to fool and cheat." By understanding that the brain under stress (hypoxia) creates its own "supernatural" experiences, we can appreciate the mountain for what it truly is: a site of profound cultural and geological beauty, rather than a playground for pseudo-scientific fabrications.
The future of truth may well depend on our ability to wield these AI tools more effectively than those who seek to deceive us—and on our collective willingness to prioritize verified information over comfortable fictions.