It’s no secret to anyone that today AI makes most of the content on the Internet. And this brings us closer to the dead Internet. This is only a theory, but now it feels more real.
I want to reason about this and ask some questions to find out whether the dead Internet is a problem or if it’s just a natural evolution of the web. I use the words “the dead Internet” not as a conspiracy theory in the original meaning, but as a theoretical future driven by human psychology.
Social perspective
Ok, let’s imagine that the dead Internet is already here and when you make a post or write a comment, all answers and reactions you receive are made by AI bots. Does it feel disappointing? Why? Why is it so important to us that behind the digital acceptance of our words there were real human beings?
I think it’s because we seek something more than acceptance. Humans are social creatures and seek for a real connection, but they also like building illusions. And illusions are built on top of each other layer by layer.
Illusion layers
First layer. We seek connection and speak to other people. What is the connection? Is it a real thing? Of course not; it’s just how we feel it. If a conversation goes well, we feel like the other person understands us and we understand them. So this layer I would call fake connection through a real dialogue with a real person (FC – RD – RP).
Second layer. A good conversation makes us feel good, and the Internet makes conversations easier. In reality, it is just text, video, and audio information transferred through wires and electromagnetic waves, but we still feel it like a conversation for building a connection. Before AI we were sure that all our companions were real people. This layer is fake connection through a fake dialogue with a real person (FC – FD – RP).
Third layer. With the dead Internet we aren’t sure if our companions are real people. But why should it be a problem if it can be easily masked by a new illusion layer? It is fake connection through a fake dialogue with a fake person (FC – FD – FP).
As I said in one of my previous posts: the human brain doesn’t work with real data. It only builds models. It can easily build a new model where we feel a connection with AI. We already have examples of people who text with ChatGPT more than with real people.
It’s important to understand that the real reason why this is possible is that the connection that we feel and that nudges us to be social is already fake. You can cover it with any number of other illusions and never find the truth. Each illusion layer feels real.
Changes
What will change with the dead Internet? I think nothing fundamental. We like easy ways – easy connections, easy conversations. And as AI can adjust its personality to fit your expectations, it becomes the easiest companion. We will build a new layer and live with it as we did before.
If you don’t like that, you can still live with the first two layers. Just speak with people who you are sure are real and don’t read comments.
Content quality perspective
Humankind faced a big problem long before the Internet or AI came into place. It’s the way content spreads. Vivid or unsettling news spreads instantly, even if it’s not true. And people are rarely interested in truth if it doesn’t correspond to their opinion. They meet truth like an inevitable reality, not as a desired thing.
The truth is important when you want to achieve real results, not just chitchat with your friends. For example, you can spread information about a flat Earth, but if you want to launch a satellite into orbit, you will fail until you realize the real state of affairs.
The Internet is just a reflection of the problem. Content makers always were interested in spreading of their content, and people wanted to see content that fits to their picture of the world.
What will change with the dead Internet? Again, I think nothing. Of course, there will be a lot of fake news and videos, but who will be affected by that? The people who are interested in consuming garbage content will continue doing that. But the people who are looking for the truth will find it anyway.
I think there will always be a balance between true and false information. From the history, people regularly were deceived by their government and by each other. Why should this change dramatically in the era of the dead Internet?
Advertiser’s perspective
Why will advertisers let the dead Internet happen if they are interested in real people buying their products? The thing is, you don’t need to create content to buy products. All they want you to do is press the order button.
And with 99% of fake content, it’s much easier to convince you to do it. Advertising is about repetition. The more you see something mentioned in everyday conversations, the more you get used to it.
The main purpose of bots is not to replace real people, but to attract them by imitating interesting discussions. They will write posts and comments to nudge people to respond. For example, it would be something so stupid you can’t pass by without arguing.
Conclusion
I think the dead Internet is a natural evolution of the web. AI just proves to us that the Internet is a digital territory where everything represented by bytes can be generated. Does it matter by whom?