Dead Internet Theory: Are AI Bots Hollowing Out Online Communities?

A developer writing on DEV Community describes a growing sense of alienation across major platforms including Twitter, Reddit, and Dev.to, attributing the shift to an influx of AI-generated content and spam bots. The author discovered the 'Dead Internet Theory', which suggests that much of today's online activity is driven by automated accounts rather than genuine human interaction. This resonated personally, as communities the author managed were increasingly flooded with low-quality, AI-generated posts. The piece raises concern over job listings that openly list automated content creation as a core responsibility, questioning whether this signals a broader industry acceptance of AI-driven engagement metrics. The author argues that the internet risks becoming a loop where AI creates content, AI consumes it, and AI inflates engagement, with little meaningful human participation remaining.