Researchers Earn Prize for Conspiracy Belief Study

Cornell psychology researchers Gordon Pennycook and David Rand's work on using AI to reduce conspiracy beliefs wins prestigious AAAS award.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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An article co-authored by Cornell psychology researchers Gordon Pennycook and David Rand, along with a collaborator, has won the 2026 Newcomb Cleveland Prize from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The study, "Durably Reducing Conspiracy Beliefs Through Dialogues With AI," shows that conversations with large language models can effectively reduce individuals' belief in conspiracy theories and that these reductions last for at least two months.

Why it matters

The award-winning research offers new insights into the psychological mechanisms behind conspiracy beliefs and highlights the potential for using AI-powered dialogues as a tool to combat the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories, which have become an increasing concern in the digital age.

The details

The study, first published in September 2024 in the journal Science, demonstrates that engaging individuals in conversations with large language models can lead to a durable reduction in their belief in conspiracy theories. The findings provide valuable insights into the psychology behind conspiracy beliefs and suggest that AI-powered dialogues could be a promising approach to addressing the growing problem of misinformation.

  • The study was first published on September 13, 2024.
  • The AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize will be presented during the AAAS Annual Meeting, held February 12-14, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona.

The players

Gordon Pennycook

Associate professor of psychology and Dorothy and Ariz Mehta Faculty Leadership Fellow in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University, and co-author of the award-winning study.

David Rand

Professor in the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, and the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University, and co-author of the award-winning study.

Thomas Costello

Lead author of the award-winning study and assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University.

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

The world's largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science, which published the award-winning study.

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What they’re saying

“We are very honored to receive this prize and delighted that the committee saw the value of leveraging new technological innovations in generative AI to better understand our own psychology.”

— Gordon Pennycook, Associate professor of psychology and Dorothy and Ariz Mehta Faculty Leadership Fellow in College of Arts and Sciences, Cornell University

What’s next

The AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize will be presented to the researchers during the AAAS Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona on February 12-14, 2026.

The takeaway

This award-winning research demonstrates the potential for using AI-powered dialogues to effectively reduce belief in conspiracy theories, providing a promising new tool in the fight against the spread of misinformation and the growing problem of conspiracy theories in the digital age.