2 fact checks
Social media posts often claim that modern artificial intelligence can read people's thoughts simply through smartphones, smart speakers, or cameras. This claim is false. Current AI systems cannot directly read a person's thoughts. Research laboratories have developed experimental brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies that use specialized equipment—such as implanted electrodes or non-invasive brain scanners—to interpret certain patterns of brain activity. These systems can sometimes identify simple words, intended movements, or images with limited accuracy under controlled conditions. They do not allow AI to freely access or read a person's thoughts, and they require the person's active participation and specialized hardware.
FactBrief · Jul 5, 2026
Many social media posts claim that enabling Airplane Mode makes your smartphone completely untraceable. This claim is only partially true. Airplane Mode disables most wireless communications, including cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth (unless Wi-Fi or Bluetooth are manually turned back on). This significantly limits real-time location tracking through cellular networks. However, it does not make a phone completely untrackable. If location services remain enabled, the phone stores location history locally, and tracking can resume once connectivity is restored. Additionally, GPS receivers can still determine the device's location even though they do not transmit it until a connection becomes available.
