Creepy sci-fi internet theory may be coming true - Nine

Theory Briefing

• The "dead internet" theory holds that the web is now dominated by automated bots rather than real human users or content.
• Once mocked as a fringe conspiracy, the theory is gaining credibility as AI-generated content floods social platforms.
• If most online interaction is artificial, the internet's role as a space for genuine human connection is fundamentally in question.
• The shift raises hard questions about whether people can even tell when they're talking to a bot versus a real person.