Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian says the internet is less human now: ‘You all prove…’

Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian has said that the internet has become less human and more artificial, describing much of it as “botted” or “quasi-AI.” Speaking on the TBPN podcast recently, Ohanian said what was once a space for real human connection has now turned into something “inhuman.

” “You all prove the point that so much of the internet is now dead,” Ohanian told the hosts.During the podcast, he referred to the “dead internet theory,” which suggests that there is now more bot activity than human interaction online. Ohanian said large parts of the web today are filled with automated or AI-generated content, including what he called “LinkedIn slop.”“I think we’ll see a next generation of social media emerge that’s verifiably human,” he added.Ohanian said that future platforms will need to focus on real people and live content to stay relevant.

Reddit founder on dead internet theory

“The internet needs to be the opposite of dead — with live viewers and live content. Holding attention will require proof of life,” he said.He also noted that users are already turning to smaller, private spaces to communicate.“It’s all going down in the group chats now,” Ohanian said, referring to apps like Signal and Discord that people use for more authentic, human conversations.

Ohanian added that while these group chats are a sign of what people really want online, they are not new technology.“There’s got to be some next iteration of that, because that’s where all of us are getting our really best info now,” he said.

What is dead internet theory

The “dead internet theory” has recently gained attention among tech leaders. It suggests that a large share of online posts, articles, videos, and even social media accounts are generated automatically, giving the illusion of human interaction while actual user activity is far smaller.In September this year, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted on X that he “never took the dead internet theory that seriously,” but now sees “a lot of LLM-run Twitter accounts.”