The internet as we knew it has been dead for years. What started as a space for freedom, creativity, and connection has become a prison of ads, trackers, and manipulation. Big corporations like Google and Meta have hijacked the web with their algorithms, capturing our attention and reselling it to the highest bidder.
Now, genAI platforms are exacerbating the problem. These primitive tools can redistribute traffic better than before, but at a cost: they silence clicks, destroy traffic, and financially strangle publishers. While some media outlets have seen a slight increase in traffic from chatbots like Gemini or ChatGPT, it’s still infinitesimally small compared to traditional sources.
The result is a bleak landscape where bots reign supreme, and without clicks, there is no open web. If the internet is to survive, we need to rethink its purpose and create a new foundation for free expression and exploration. It’s time to let the internet die and start anew.
Source: https://medium.com/enrique-dans/let-the-internet-die-a-case-for-starting-over-07885cd327f8