Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian believes the modern internet has drifted far from its human roots. Speaking on The Best People Network podcast[1], Ohanian described a digital world crowded with automated posts, recycled commentary, and artificial personalities that blur the line between people and machines. What was once built for conversation and creativity, he said, now feels drained of life.
A Web Drowning in Automation
Ohanian reflected on how online spaces have changed since Reddit’s early days. He told the hosts that much of the internet is now “botted” or “quasi-AI,” filled with synthetic voices imitating genuine users. What he called “LinkedIn slop” (the same polished, algorithm-friendly content repeated endlessly) has become a symbol of how far digital culture has sunk into automation.
In the conversation, the show’s hosts joked about deliberately “sloppifying” their own content to appeal to LinkedIn’s algorithm. Ohanian used that moment to emphasize his point: when creators are forced to mimic machine-made patterns to be seen, the system itself stops feeling human.
He tied this to what’s known as the “dead internet theory”… the idea that bots and AI systems now generate more of the web’s content than real people do. OpenAI’s Sam Altman recently noted a rise in automated accounts on X, a trend that echoes Ohanian’s concern that genuine interaction is being replaced by artificial chatter.
From Shared Spaces to Private Circles
Ohanian suggested that authentic connection hasn’t disappeared but has retreated into smaller, more private digital spaces. In his view, group chats, private servers, and community-driven networks like Discord are where people still talk freely and share ideas without performing for algorithms. These small circles, he said, have become “the real internet,” while public platforms are left sounding like machines talking to each other.
He described this shift as both natural and necessary — a form of digital survival in an environment overrun by automation. People are turning away from large, performative networks toward spaces where they can still sense personality and trust.
Proof of Life in the Digital Age
During the discussion, Ohanian argued that the next phase of social media will have to be “verifiably human.” He wasn’t referring to blue checks or ID systems but to environments that demonstrate active presence… “live viewers and live content,” as he called it. Platforms that want to stay relevant will need to prove that human attention still drives them.
In his view, that proof will come from interactivity rather than identity. Live events, participatory media, and collaborative spaces could help restore the vitality that early internet communities once had. He contrasted this with today’s static feeds, where engagement is simulated by algorithms predicting what people might click.
Cultural Decay by Design
Ohanian’s critique went beyond nostalgia. He described a deeper problem in how major platforms now reward conformity and predictability. Instead of encouraging creativity or curiosity, algorithms promote content that fits patterns they can monetize. The result, he suggested, is a culture where creators act like machines to please other machines.
This feedback loop has blurred the boundaries between authentic participation and artificial production. For Ohanian, it represents a kind of cultural decay — a slow erosion of what made the internet worth using. “So much of the internet is now dead,” he told the hosts, calling for a revival built on living communities rather than automated output.
Searching for What Comes Next
Ohanian acknowledged that the group chat model isn’t a long-term solution. Even those spaces, he said, are beginning to absorb AI tools that generate or edit messages. While convenient, these technologies risk importing the same lifeless patterns that hollowed out public platforms.
To him, this shows the need for a new kind of digital infrastructure… one that balances intelligent automation with human creativity. He envisions a generation of platforms designed around presence, accountability, and participation rather than scale. “There’s got to be some next iteration of that,” he said, referring to today’s chat-based communities.
A Call for a Living Internet
Ohanian’s comments echo a growing unease among long-time builders of the web. As AI systems flood timelines with automated posts and imitation users, the original promise of an open, conversational internet feels distant. Yet his optimism remains that something new can rise from the clutter… an online world that prizes “proof of life” over volume, and connection over clicks.
In his view, the web doesn’t need to be remade through another wave of technology. It simply needs to remember what made it human in the first place.
Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools. Image: DIW-Aigen.
Read next: New Report Finds OpenAI’s GPT-5 More Likely to Produce Harmful Content Despite Safety Claims[2]
References
- ^ The Best People Network podcast (www.youtube.com)
- ^ New Report Finds OpenAI’s GPT-5 More Likely to Produce Harmful Content Despite Safety Claims (www.digitalinformationworld.com)