China’s ‘Tang Dynasty Never Existed’ Hoax Raises AI Data Concerns

The Tang dynasty, which ruled China for nearly three centuries, is documented through extensive written records, archaeological remains and sources beyond China. A conspiracy theory claiming the dynasty never existed has nevertheless spread across Chinese social media, highlighting a broader risk for generative AI: models trained on large volumes of poorly vetted online material may reproduce fabricated narratives with the appearance of factual authority.

The claims recently gained enough traction that some internet users called for the demolition of monuments associated with the Tang era. Chinese authorities subsequently blocked the content, while scholars rebutted it using historical and archaeological evidence. Media reports and experts warned that if such pseudo-history enters AI training databases without adequate screening, models could repeat and amplify falsehoods, weakening their ability to distinguish established facts from viral misinformation.