Unfounded Theories Wrongly Link Maui Wildfires to Smart Cities and Technology Conferences

CLAIM: Some are alleging that Maui’s recent wildfires were intentionally caused to further plans to make the island a “smart city.” They point to a conference held in January about transforming Maui into a smart island and another summit next month on using AI to govern the island as evidence.

AP’S ASSESSMENT: This claim is false. The Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences that took place in January was a general gathering on global information technology issues, not about making Maui a “smart island.” Similarly, the upcoming Hawaii Digital Government Summit is not solely focused on AI’s application in Maui but on the broader adaptation of emerging technologies by governments across Hawaii. Moreover, it will be held on Oahu, not Maui.

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• A video displaying green lights over Hawaii from January has no connection to Maui’s recent fires.
• Pfizer’s CEO has not been arrested by the U.S. Marine Corps.

THE FACTS: As the investigation into Maui’s wildfires continues, online posts are spreading, accusing government officials of planning to clear the island to build a “smart city.”

These conspiracy theories draw on existing fears, particularly among far-right groups, that global organizations such as the UN and the World Economic Forum are plotting to force people into futuristic, restrictive environments known as “smart cities” or “15-minute cities.”

However, these posts misunderstand and misrepresent the true nature of smart cities and 15-minute cities, which are urban design principles aiming to improve community efficiency and sustainability, not limit freedoms.

The referenced conferences are wide-ranging and not exclusively focused on the concepts of smart cities, 15-minute cities, Maui, or even Hawaii. They are platforms for discussing various information technology issues.

Hawaii’s Governor and event organizers have strongly refuted the claims that the fires were intentionally set to clear land for a “smart city” project. The upcoming Hawaii Digital Government Summit is not focused on turning Maui into a city governed by AI, as some have alleged.

Furthermore, the alleged connection between the upcoming summit and Maui is incorrect, as the event is taking place in Honolulu, Oahu. Misinformation is also circulating about a separate program called JumpStartMaui, unrelated to the conferences.

In summary, these conspiracy theories are baseless, and the events and concepts referenced in them are misrepresented and misunderstood.

AP is committed to correcting misinformation that is widely circulating online. This includes collaborating with external organizations and companies to provide accurate context to misleading content. More information about fact-checking at AP can be found [here].

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