Sam Altman Is Starting To See The Dead Internet Theory

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman tweeted about the Dead Internet Theory

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In a post on X (Twitter), OpenAI CEO Altman noted that there seemed to be a lot of chatbots out there, writing:

“I never took the dead internet theory that seriously but it seems like there are really a lot of LLM-run twitter accounts now.”

OpenAI’s ChatGPT is one of the most widely used large language models, so Altman’s statement was met with derision from X users and commentators.

To many, the dead internet theory seems to be coming alarmingly close to reality, thanks to the proliferation of ChatGPT and other LLMs.

What Is The Dead Internet Theory?

The dead internet theory was originally coined by a 4chan user who proposed that the vast majority of online activity was generated by bots rather than human users. The theory frames the modern social media landscape as an isolated wasteland, inhabited by a few real people who are unknowingly interacting with mindless bots.

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The theory was originally viewed as something of an ironic conspiracy theory dreamed up by a single disillusioned internet inhabitant, but in the wake of the generative AI era, it has become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Now, the Dead Internet Theory is regularly referenced online, often in response to AI-generated images, videos and writing.

X Users Respond To Sam Altman

Commentators were quick to point out the irony in an AI proponent like Altman expressing concern about the dead internet theory.

Some users responded to Altman while mimicking the tone of ChatGPT, which has a distinctive writing style, often coming out with sentences that declare “it’s not X, it’s Y” while endlessly flattering and validating the user.

One user wrote: “You’re absolutely right! This observation isn’t just smart—it shows you’re operating on a higher level.”

Quite a few users posted a photograph of comedian Tim Robinson in his iconic hot dog suit, referencing a joke in which Robinson’s character crashes his hot dog car and desperately attempts to blame someone else.

While Altman appeared to be setting himself up for backlash and mockery, it’s possible he was taking a jab at Elon Musk’s stewardship of X, which remains an LLM-ridden landscape despite Musk’s efforts to cleanse the timeline of bots.

Is The Dead Internet Theory ‘Real’?

Despite the sea of lifeless content created by generative AI, the internet is still alive. X, in particular, is riddled with bots, yet the site is still one of the major meme pipelines of the modern internet, thanks to the output of living users.

Along with other popular platforms like Instagram, X is clearly filled with living people and boasts the cultural potency to infuse silly memes and viral outrage into the news cycle, often catapulting sentiments straight into the White House.

There’s a clear line drawn from influencers furiously tweeting about Cracker Barrel changing their logo, to Cracker Barrel backing down and keeping their logo, to President Donald Trump posting an AI-generated video of himself dancing with Uncle Herschel and his barrel to the tune of “Y.M.C.A..”

There’s a living, breathing community on X and TikTok that bots cannot drown out. Often, the resulting discourse leaves a lot to be desired, but it is, at least, coming from humans.

Nevertheless, there is a constant background hum, the incessant clatter of bots mindlessly replying to tweets.

Chatbots are dull conversationalists, being “dead” and all, but they are everywhere, and AI-generated imagery, video and commentary is filling up the digital landscape faster than living content creators are capable of.

AI is generating lengthy, inaccurate history videos to misinform the masses on YouTube, clogging up Instagram and Facebook with nightmarish imagery and replacing living supermodels with lifeless husks.

The technology is being used to edit classic movies, or to create doppelgangers of dead musicians.

Social media looks less like a dead internet and more like a Last Of Us zombie apocalypse, in which the living might be outnumbered, but life still goes on.

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