The concept of the ‘dead internet theory’ has gained renewed attention following remarks from Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT. While many conspiracy theories on the internet are quickly dismissed, this particular theory has lingered, and Altman’s comments have added fuel to the fire.
The ‘dead internet theory’ suggests that much of the online activity is generated by automated systems rather than genuine human interaction. This is reflected in the abundance of bots on platforms like X, previously known as Twitter, where the communication often appears mechanical.
The dead internet theory has been dismissed multiple times, and Altman himself has been skeptical of it in the past. However, he recently expressed a shift in perspective, stating on X, “I never took the dead internet theory that seriously but it seems like there are really a lot of LLM-run twitter accounts now.”
This theory revolves around the capabilities of Large Language Models (LLM), which power technologies like ChatGPT. According to Cloudflare, LLMs are proficient in interpreting human language and other complex data forms due to extensive training on vast amounts of internet text.
Cloudflare further explains that LLMs often continue to gather information from the web even after their initial training, enabling them to perform tasks like generative AI, sentiment analysis, DNA research, customer service, chatbots, and online searches.
Despite the promising future of AI, there is concern about its impact on brain development. A recent study highlights potential negative effects, with lead author Nataliya Kosmyna expressing apprehension over proposals that might integrate AI into early childhood education, stating, “Developing brains are at the highest risk.”