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The Dead Internet Theory is a conspiracy theory that gained popularity due to the rapid spread of AIs such as ChatGPT, among other things
Dead Internet Theory – that’s what the theory is about
The Dead Internet Theory is popular among conspiracy theorists. It describes a dystopian scenario in which the internet is largely run by bots.
- Important: Conspiracy theories range from silly and abstruse stories to seemingly plausible mind games. However, they should only be understood as entertainment and should not be taken seriously.
- The Dead Internet Theory claims that the internet is no longer fed by humans but by bots or AI and that there are no longer any humans on the internet. According to the theory, uploaded content, created websites and conversations between users are no longer of human origin, but originate from bots.
- The conspiracy theory is also based on the concern that the internet is controlled by algorithms and only serves the purpose of selling things to people. Another, far more dangerous claim is that bots are used on the internet by governments such as the USA to influence users’ perceptions and thus control opinions
- The eponymous “death of the internet” is estimated to take place around 2015 and 2016. During this period, the original internet, run and shaped by humans, is said to have died and been taken over by bots. Evidence for this theory includes the rapid development of AIs such as ChatGPT and the observable accumulation of bots on social media platforms.
How the theory found its origin
The origin of the Dead Internet Theory is attributed to individual posts on image boards such as 4chan. However, the conspiracy theory became really popular in 2021 due to a detailed forum post.
- A post by the user IlluminatiPirate on the forum “Agora Road’s Macintosh Cafe” is seen as the impetus for the spread of the theory since 2021. In this post, he takes up the pre-existing theory and supposedly cites his own observations and claims to prove the Dead Internet Theory
- The idea that artificial intelligence will have a significant impact on our lives and that the development of technology is considered dangerous has been around for decades and has already served as the basis for books and films such as “I, Robot” and “The 200 Year Man”.
- The online discourse on theory has been fueled since 2021 by the spread of AIs and AI features, among other things. Programs such as Adobe’s Photoshop now have AI functions that are designed to make working with the program easier and support users in creating images. A proliferation of bot accounts that post content can also be observed on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter).
