Exploring the Dead Internet Theory: AI’s grip on online media
In Brief
The Dead Internet Theory suggests that AI-generated content is overtaking the web, eroding authentic human connections, quality journalism, and meaningful discourse, urging us to reclaim the internet as a space for genuine human interaction.
What if you were the last human left online, surrounded by bots, scrolling through an endless sea of artificial noise?
This unsettling premise derives from the Dead Internet Theory, an online conspiracy theory that asserts much of the internet has been overtaken by bots and algorithmically curated, AI-generated content. According to proponents of this theory, since 2016 or 2017, organic human activity online has been intentionally displaced to manipulate public perception and control behaviour.
This may sound dystopian, but as AI content started dominating online media, the line between conspiracy and reality has become disturbingly thin. The internet, one of the most incredible tools for personal freedom humanity has ever had, is at risk of erosion. Valuable journalism, authentic human connections and trust are being threatened, and we need an intervention – the creation of a digital space for humans, by humans.
The rise of AI in online media and its risks
Some might argue that this concern is overblown. After all, the internet is still predominantly a human space – or so we’d like to believe. However, cracks are showing. Bots already make up almost 50% of internet traffic, and AI chatbots like ChatGPT which gives the average internet user access to large-language models, is feeding into the growing concern that the internet would soon become filled with AI-generated content – up to 90% by 2026 – drowning out organic human content.
The Dead Internet Theory started as a joke, but it feels closer to home and more eerie than ever today. With a single scroll online, it’s impossible for us to escape from AI-generated content, being at risk of AI-driven fraud, let alone be influenced by the insidious deepfakes and misinformation.
The discourse raised through the Dead Internet Theory is perhaps most visible in the media industry, where the internet’s structural changes have upended traditional business models and decimated revenues. Over the previous two decades, media outlets have sought to find answers to their dwindling ad revenue, hoping to mimic the success of the subscription model, only to inadvertently incentivise clickbait and emotionally charged content, undermining quality journalism.
It’s not difficult to understand the reasoning behind this shift, as in a saturated attention economy, the articles that generate the most revenue are those that elicit strong emotional reactions, at the expense of thoughtful or investigative journalism. This dynamic has inherently degraded the quality of information available online while increasing reliance on sensationalism and outrage-driven content. The proliferation of AI-generated junk content only compounds these challenges, making it easier by 74% to be misinformed, misled or churn out the same junk in return as the truth.
An internet that serves algorithms instead of real people
It could be seen as ironic that in their relentless pursuit of engagement and profit, online media platforms today often cater more to machines than to humanity – these very platforms are funding the decay of the spaces they built. Quality journalism, real human connections, and meaningful discourse are pushed to the margins, sacrificed at the altar of clicks and ad revenue. We’re currently living in a digital world where real people are no longer the primary audience; algorithms are.
The internet has become a fertile ground for bots and click farms to churn out content designed solely to exploit ad revenue, and this is only aggravated by platforms which incentivise these trends. What was designed to empower individuals and democratise knowledge is now at risk of devolving into an echo chamber of AI-generated noise.
Reclaiming the internet
The argument here isn’t that AI is inherently bad or that the internet is beyond saving. Instead, the issue lies in how we’re intentionally interacting with the internet moving forward.
The responsibility to combat the erosion of the internet does not fall solely on platforms or developers, it should be a collective effort. AI literacy should be learned at a fundamental level; users need to understand how algorithms manipulate the content they see, how AI-generated narratives are crafted, and how to identify and challenge these trends. Platforms must be held accountable for the systems they create, and governments should focus on encouraging innovation and transparency. For individuals, this means supporting journalism that prioritises quality over quantity and joining communities that value meaningful discourse over shallow noise.
Humanity is in need of digital spaces that prioritise authentic human interaction over shallow metrics like clicks and engagement rates, and supported by novel economic models and effective fact-checking systems. There is a real urgency to reclaim the internet as a tool for empowerment.
People are still here. Despite the noise, communities of trust and authenticity can thrive, but only if we choose to nurture them. It’s up to all of us to resist the tide of artificial noise and to preserve the internet as a space where genuine human connection and meaningful discourse remain possible.
Disclaimer
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About The Author
Ciarán Murray, the founder of Olas, has extensive experience in the blockchain industry. He has been involved in various blockchain projects over the years and recently developed a proof-of-concept for synthetic assets. Before his work in blockchain, Ciarán had a career in the media industry, including a role at British Sky Broadcasting. His background provides him with a unique perspective on the challenges within the media industry and how blockchain and distributed technologies can be applied to address them.
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Ciarán Murray, the founder of Olas, has extensive experience in the blockchain industry. He has been involved in various blockchain projects over the years and recently developed a proof-of-concept for synthetic assets. Before his work in blockchain, Ciarán had a career in the media industry, including a role at British Sky Broadcasting. His background provides him with a unique perspective on the challenges within the media industry and how blockchain and distributed technologies can be applied to address them.
