Mermaids, Inflatable Goats, and the Cognitive Illusions of AI

When Christopher Columbus sailed the Caribbean, he reported seeing mermaids, though he noted they were far less beautiful than the legends suggested. In reality, he was looking at West Indian manatees, creatures he had never seen before. Because his mind lacked a category for manatees, his prior mental frameworks substituted mermaids.

This is not merely a historical quirk. As a cognitive scientist, I find that human beings frequently interpret visual evidence through the lens of what they already believe. We see this today in the bizarre modern theories about an ancient Assyrian relief, where viewers mistake flotation aids made from inflated goatskins for ancient scuba gear.

Now, this tendency is colliding with artificial intelligence. Modern AI can generate highly convincing images that look entirely real, manipulating the frameworks we use to interpret reality. While today we might still spot a backwards hand or a strangely labeled building in an AI image, these systems are rapidly improving.

In my latest article, I discuss how these cognitive vulnerabilities and advancing technologies will impact criminal investigations and courtroom proceedings. Understanding how we separate real perceptions from artificial fabrications is becoming one of our most urgent challenges.

I invite you to read the full essay to explore how we can navigate these upcoming obstacles in the criminal justice system.

Read the full article on Psychology Today

Originally Posted February 2, 2026