AI and the death of the (free) internet

More and more content on the internet is produced in bulk to attract attention. Much of it is automated: AI-generated slop and engagement bait that imitates relevance. The online environment feels less trustworthy and less personal because of it. Tech giants sit in between as intermediaries.

ARTE’s documentary “AI and the Death of the Internet” takes up this concern. It shows how AI-generated slop and bot-produced content flood social feeds, and it asks whether the internet is turning into an artificial space. I recommend watching all of it.

One sentence by Emanuel Maiberg stayed with me: “At the moment the solution is a more direct human to human connection.” Systems filter and imitate more and more of our communication. His answer is trust between real people.

That leaves a question for each of us: whom do you trust online, where, and how?