What is the dead internet theory?

Reality has 'begun to mirror' the conspiracy that the vast majority of internet activity is generated by bots

Photo collage of a man standing with his back to the camera in a digital, low-poly landscape. He is small in the frame, and is surrounded by icons representing ads, bots, malware and AI. Above, in the digital sky, a glitchy signal reads, 'game over'.
(Image credit: Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images)

How can you really know who on the internet is real and who is not?

That is the basis of what is known as the dead internet theory, a "joke-cum-conspiracy that says if you're reading these words online, you're the last person on the internet", said Prospect. "Everyone else is a bot."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us