Reddit co-founder says “much of the internet is dead” while Sam Altman warns AI and bots will destroy the web within 3 years

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Technology has advanced rapidly in recent years, changing the way we use the internet in ways we couldn’t have imagined before.

Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot are changing how people use the internet. Instead of relying on traditional search engines like Google and Bing, users are now more likely to seek quick, concise, and well-organized answers to their questions.

As a tech enthusiast, I found it fascinating to hear a former Google engineer suggest they were more worried about OpenAI’s SearchGPT – even though it was just a quick test version – than the recent antitrust ruling questioning their dominance in search. What really struck me, though, is how studies are now showing younger generations are turning to AI tools *first* when they need information. It’s a huge shift in how people are finding things out!

Even Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has stopped using Google for searches. He acknowledges that while people are increasingly relying on ChatGPT, it sometimes provides inaccurate or made-up information. He explained that it’s important to remember that this technology isn’t always reliable, stating, “It should be the tech you don’t trust that much.”

AI tools like ChatGPT learn by using information created by people, then present it as their own, often with small acknowledgements at the end. However, a recent report indicates that leading AI companies – including Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic – may struggle to improve their AI because they’re running out of good material to teach it with.

The outcome is a lot of content that’s poorly researched and inaccurate. Even Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, seems to agree. He recently mentioned on the TBPN podcast that a large part of the internet feels lifeless, largely because of the increasing presence of bots and basic AI.

It seems like many of you are demonstrating how much of the internet feels inactive or fake – this idea that the internet is becoming ‘dead.’ Whether it’s filled with bots, basic AI, or low-quality content like you see on LinkedIn, genuine signs of activity – like real people watching and creating content live – are incredibly important for capturing and keeping people’s attention.

Reddit co-founder, Alexis Ohanian

The executive had a fascinating thought about how to make the internet feel more personal and relatable.

I believe the next wave of social media will focus on proving users are real people. This is because the most valuable information and conversations are already happening in group chats – and that technology isn’t new. We need to see how this evolves, as group chats are where many of us are currently getting the best information.

Ohanian also pointed out that more and more people are using apps to connect with others, and group chats have become especially popular for this purpose. However, artificial intelligence is now starting to appear within these platforms as well.

The executive currently says these group chats were excellent, but they weren’t new or innovative technology.

Just last month, OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, hinted that the idea of a “dead internet” – where most online content is generated by AI rather than humans – might come true within the next three years. He believes the growing number of bots and AI programs online could make this happen.

Altman noted that while he hadn’t given much thought to the idea of a ‘dead internet,’ he’s observed a significant increase in Twitter accounts that appear to be operated by large language models.

It’s becoming increasingly hard to tell what’s genuine online because of the growing presence of AI and automated bots.

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2025-10-16 16:40