Reddit Co-Founder Says "Much Of The Internet Is Dead", Blames Bots And 'Quasi-AI'

The "dead internet theory," which suggests that bots and automated content are dominating online activity, was once considered a conspiracy. However, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian believes this concept has merit, noting that the internet has become overrun with "botted" and "quasi-AI" interactions. Ohanian argues that current social media platforms are flooded with artificial engagement, citing the proliferation of generic posts on professional networks like LinkedIn as evidence, Business Insider reported. 

"You all prove the point that so much of the internet is now just dead—this whole dead internet theory, right? Whether it's botted, whether it's quasi-AI, LinkedIn slop,” Ohanian said on the TBPN podcast on Monday. 

Some experts agree with the theory, pointing out that around 51% of internet traffic is already generated by bots, with AI-powered accounts creating and spreading content rapidly. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also recently acknowledged the presence of numerous LLM-run Twitter accounts, shifting his stance on the "dead internet theory." 

To combat this, Ohanian advocates for a more vibrant online space with "live viewers and live content" that requires "proof of life" to capture users' attention. "I think we'll see a next generation of social media emerge that's verifiably human, because it's all going down in the group chats now," he added.

The 'Dead Internet' theory

The "dead internet theory" gained traction in 2021 after a post by "IlluminatiPirate" surfaced on the Agora Road forum, Forbes explained. It was later featured in The Atlantic under the headline, "Maybe you missed it, but the internet 'died' five years ago."

The concept suggests that bots and artificial activity dominate online interactions. Data from cybersecurity firms supports this idea, with Cloudflare reporting nearly one-third of internet traffic coming from bots and Imperva finding almost 50% of traffic originating from non-human sources.

While some bots perform harmless tasks like auto-generating generic comments on social media, others create fake page views and inflate user engagement metrics. This manipulation can paint a misleading picture of a company's digital reach or success. These bots also have the potential to distort the data that investors, economists, and analysts rely on to measure the viability and growth of emerging tech ventures.