AI is Ruining the Internet

The rise of artificial intelligence has rapidly shaped the internet we know today – but not all of it has been for the better. The more AI technology grows, the more the integrity of the internet seems jeopardized. From filling search results with AI-generated nonsense to social media accounts dominated by bots, AI is becoming a more constant and troubling presence online.

Google and AI: From Search to Misinformation

Remember the good old days when Google search primarily delivered relevant, human-curated websites? Now, AI-generated summaries dominate the top results, leading to potentially dangerous misinformation. Simple searches, like whether you need a parachute for skydiving, result in laughable responses (e.g., "Nope, any backpack will work").

This rapid shift is an example of how AI has been poorly integrated. Google doesn't check the legitimacy of answers or properly cite sources, often pulling data from random Reddit threads or other questionable places.

The dangers of AI-created content don’t end there. Google recently acquired a huge chunk of Reddit’s data, and much of their AI information seems to stem straight out of random posts. For instance, suggestions like "put glue on your pizza to keep cheese from sliding off" show how wrong and bizarre these responses can be.

The Dead Internet Theory: Endless Loops of Bots

Ever heard of the "Dead Internet Theory?" It posits that most of the internet is already run – and engaged with – by AI. Go to Quora these days, and you'll find random, nonsensical questions asked by bots, answered by bots, in some endless AI conversation no real human even initiated.

Social media platforms are facing a similar fate, particularly Facebook. With AI-driven fake accounts and spam content flooding the platform, it's getting harder to distinguish reality from algorithm-driven fiction. Facebook even admitted to deleting over 5 billion accounts in 2019, and that was before open-source AI tools flourished.

Facebook's Spam-Filled Future

As AI technology improves, the content filling Facebook pages becomes increasingly bizarre. Posts like, "Today's my birthday, please message me to feel loved" backed by bot-filled replies are now commonplace. It's like the online equivalent of walking through an abandoned shopping mall filled with creepy, lifeless mannequins programmed to whisper desperate mumbles to passersby.

Real humans are scrolling these posts, but most of the interaction involves these spammy, AI-driven accounts that create a mix of unsettling and absurd content. The more bizarre a post, the more bots seem to latch onto it, distorting reality into something barely recognizable.

For more detailed insights on protecting yourself and your personal information while browsing online, check out our essential guide Protecting Personal Data Online: Updated Must-Know Tips for 2024 to stay vigilant.

Twitter and AI Farming Content

Twitter’s hamster wheel of content isn't slowing either. After Elon Musk turned verification into a paid subscription service, suddenly floods of bot-generated content started clogging the replies. What used to be semi-reasonable interactions became a chaotic avalanche of chatbots summarizing Wikipedia pages.

Combine this with Twitter’s new monetization program, where users can get paid for engagement, and you’ve practically given bots a cash incentive to ruin human conversation. Replies to tweets are now cluttered with mindless AI summaries of the original post – too many words, not enough value. It’s practically automated spam.

AI-Generated Influencers and Fake Personas

Instagram recently introduced AI-driven personas, creating profiles of non-existent people who are meant to engage users in conversation. These characters are designed with personality, backstory, and even jobs, and users can message them to "interact." Of course, the AI frequently contradicts itself with absurd, nonsensical replies.

What's the point of talking to an AI pretending to be a human? Is this engagement? Or is it AI talking to AI? Who benefits from this endless cycle of fake influencers? Whatever the purpose, it’s turning social media into an AI-driven wasteland of confusion.

Even platforms like TikTok could begin to see a similar transformation. If managing AI-driven content is a concern, stay informed on security risks and trends in protecting your online presence with our guide to staying safe online.

Spotify – Your Playlist is Not as Human as You Think

One of the most disturbing trends is AI infiltrating the world of music. Spotify, which once aimed to support musicians by providing a platform to showcase their work, is potentially stuffing its most popular playlists with AI-generated content attributed to fake artists. The idea? Generate royalty-free music to keep more of the revenue in house.

Some users have started noticing patterns. Artists with no social following, no concerts, no personal profiles, and strange, robotic-sounding music are flooding curated playlists. These AI-made tunes are slowly replacing actual musicians, siphoning away royalties and devaluing creativity as a whole.

For artists looking to protect their craft, AI might be a significant existential threat. In the future, platforms will be flooded with content created by AI, diluting the effectiveness and appeal of true human creativity. Perhaps the income and engagement musicians once earned through the platform will be swallowed by endless streams of computer-generated garbage.

AI's Side Hustle Boom: Worth It?

You’ve probably come across those videos or blog posts explaining how you can make thousands a month by using AI tools to sell things on Etsy or upload bot-generated songs to Spotify. It sounds easy: let AI do all the heavy lifting while you rake in the cash with little effort.

But here’s the thing: the market is being saturated. Soon everyone will have access to the same AI-generated "hacks." The result? Lower returns, prices that race to the bottom, and a marketplace clogged with subpar, AI-produced content.

Sure, one guy might sell one AI-generated product and boast about his winnings. But for the majority, this side hustle will sputter out faster than it started, drowning actual creators in a mess of low-effort knockoffs.

A Grim Future for AI-Generated Video Content

AI’s impact on video content is also terrifying. AI-generated videos lack logical consistency, style, and narrative. Hand-drawn faces, misaligned limbs – these videos end up looking more like a fever dream than something you'd ever seriously watch. Imagine a future where scripts and videos are orchestrated by AI, but everything looks wrong – uncanny, disconnected, and nonsensical.

The distance between today's AI rendition of a video and cinema-quality production remains vast. An AI-generated video might have a narrative, but it's broken, sloppy. Scenes don’t flow together, and objects inexplicably behave like they exist in a world without physics.

It's clear that even this grand vision of AI-dominated content creation is flawed and far from seamless.

Conclusion: A World Overrun by AI

AI is quickly changing the internet – but in ways that may ultimately degrade its value. While AI tools are exciting and useful for certain applications, their widespread use introduces countless problems. It’s not just about creating AI content; it's about how far we've come from authentic, human interaction and content creation. Whether it’s ridiculous search results, chatbots filling up Twitter, or AI generating music and videos that no real human would ever watch, a future dominated by AI is unnervingly inhuman.

As we continue down this path, it's crucial to ask: Will AI ultimately replace the things that make the internet great? Will creativity, connection, and authenticity be sacrificed for efficiency and profits? It’s a brave, but concerning new world we’re stepping into.

For further understanding of how AI is impacting the internet and the risks involved, see Botnets Explained: Stay Safe Online with 2024’s Essential Guide for more comprehensive protection strategies relevant to today’s risks.