OpenAI CEO backs down on dead internet theory

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, suggested there might be some truth to the "dead internet theory." This conspiracy theory holds that much of the content and profiles appearing like real people online are actually automatically generated by computers, and that the internet is largely "dead."

While the theory has often been debunked, the proliferation of artificial intelligence systems in recent years and the failed attempts to block bots on platforms like Twitter X have given the idea increasing credence. Sam Altman, who previously didn't believe in the theory, has suggested there might be some truth to it.

"I've never taken the dead internet theory seriously, but it turns out there are a lot of Twitter accounts being used by major language models right now," wrote Sam Altman, as quoted by Independent Turkish.

Large language models (BDMs) are the technology behind similar products like ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude. This statement drew widespread criticism from users, who suggested that Altman's role as head of OpenAI directly contributed to the problem he was warning about.

ChatGPT's launch in late 2022 paved the way for many other similar systems to become available online, making it much easier for both real and malicious users to automatically create content and posts on online platforms.

Some suggest Altman's tweet may have stemmed from his work at World Network. He founded the company, formerly known as Worldcoin, in 2019. The company says it aims to develop a method for people to prove their true identities online by scanning their eyes. This is being promoted as a way to curb the online influence of AI-powered systems.