The internet is facing new challenges as artificial intelligence (AI) generates large amounts of low-quality content across various platforms. This AI-generated “slope” is slowly taking effect, diminishing the value of true human interaction and raising concerns about the future of online engagement. Facebook in particular is flooded with strange AI-generated images.
Rather than suppressing this trend, the platform embraced it and enhanced the AI-generated material with recommendation algorithms. In 2023, Facebook also introduced AI-powered profiles, but they were quickly scrapped after user backlash. The problem extends beyond Facebook, with LinkedIn also facing a surge in long-form posts that often lack authenticity and relevance, including moral lessons, uplifting messages, and stories of overcoming adversity. There is.
Brisbane-based technology reporter Tess Bennett highlights the growing problem and the need for platforms to develop advanced content management tools to maintain the quality and authenticity of user-generated content.
Hijacking AI-generated content
The proliferation of AI-generated content is reminiscent of what Cory Doctorow called the “encitization” of the internet: the deterioration of services due to the relentless pursuit of profit.
As AI continues to shape our online experiences, it remains to be seen whether any regulatory action will be taken to curb the spread of low-quality AI-generated content. The explosion of AI has also increased the number of data centers worldwide from 500,000 in 2012 to 8 million today. As the industry grows, so too does the demand on the planet, raising urgent questions about sustainability and resource use.
Golestan (Sari) Radwan, Chief Digital Officer at the United Nations Environment Programme, emphasized that before deploying AI at scale, we need to ensure that its ultimate effect on the planet is positive. I am. For now, dissatisfied users are left to grapple with the everyday hassles AI creates, from filtering search results to questioning whether the convenience is worth the environmental cost. “The internet is dead,” said one commenter. It remains to be seen whether AI can revitalize it or further weaken it.
