Bots also generate everything online.
The Dead Internet Theory
Conspiracy theorists sometimes come up with provocative and interesting ideas in between anti-vaccine and flat Earth discussions. The Dead Internet Theory is a good example.
According to The Atlantic, this theory suggests that the Internet as we know is dead sometime between 2016-2017. This does not necessarily mean that the Internet has died. Instead, the majority of people who post content on social media, update their status, or comment are bots.
Bots everywhere
The Agora Roads Macintosh Cafe has one of the most popular posts explaining this theory. IlluminatiPirate, an anonymous user, created a thread in the forum titled Dead Internet Theory. Most of the Internet Is Fake. This thread explains how much of the Internet has been created and managed by AI and how it is filled with bots.
IlluminatiPirate stated that I have seen the same threads, photos, and replies over and over again over the years.
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The government and corporations are behind the demise of the Internet. They work together to promote propaganda and to coerce users into purchasing products. Shadowy puppet masters are needed to pull the strings.
It is obvious to me what I am suggesting here, given the setup, IlluminatiPirate wrote in the thread. The U.S. government is engaged in artificial intelligence-powered gaslighting of all world citizens.
Is it true?
Like any conspiracy theory, this one has elements of truth. One, it is clear that the Internet of today has changed a lot from its previous state.
The online world is becoming more structured and aggregated according to the wishes of a few corporations, if any. Targeted AI and algorithms are often responsible for what we see online. They take us further away from natural experiences. It's scary and lonely.
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Users can take comfort in the fact they are still consuming a lot of content online, from memes to TikToks to aggravating Tweets to the likes of these, but users should also remember that many of the content is still being created by real people.
READ MORE: The Internet died five years ago [The Atlantic]
More conspiracy theories: Joe Rogan's fans are ripping him for being a moron about COVID
