Sam Altman fuels debate on the dead internet theory, saying AI bots now dominate online spaces once thought human-driven. Photos/X.
Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI, which owns ChatGPT, is fueling a conspiracy theory around the internet after earlier dismissing the same. He recently made a comment saying that there may be some truth to the so-called “dead internet theory.” The theory suggests that much of the internet content, including much of the content, is actually generated by automated systems. This, according to the theory, is making the internet largely “dead.”
“I never took the dead internet theory that seriously, but it seems like there are really a lot of LLM-run Twitter accounts now,” he wrote,” Altman wrote on X.
The “dead internet theory” was first introduced by a 4chan user, who argued that the majority of online interactions were created by bots rather than humans.
The theory says today’s digital space is a deserted wasteland, where a few real people unknowingly engage with automated accounts. First, viewed as a tongue-in-cheek conspiracy, the idea has gained renewed attention in the wake of generative AI advancements.
Although the theory has long been debunked, the rise of artificial intelligence tools and the inability of social media platforms, such as X, to eliminate bots have given the concept new relevance.
Large language models (LLMs), including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude, now make it easier than ever to automatically generate posts, images, videos, and articles.
The release of ChatGPT in late 2022 accelerated this trend, with both genuine and malicious users deploying AI for mass content creation across platforms.
Netizens speculated that Altman’s comments were linked to his work with World Network, formerly known as Worldcoin, which he co-founded in 2019.
The project aims to provide a way for people to prove their human identity online through iris scanning, positioning itself as a solution to combat AI-driven impersonation and automated activity.
Also Read: How Elon Musk Tried And Failed To Rope Mark Zuckerberg Into His War With Sam Altman
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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