The dead Internet Theory : How you are probably arguing with a bot

@mattclarke: I have serious misgivings around world population numbers we've been told. Too many incentives for countries to lie about headcount; there may be fewer than 3 billion of us. Filling the net with bots would be a great way to muddy those waters.

@jacobtothe: It's quite possible, especially on Facebook and Twitter/X. The cynical side of me thinks some people are just that stupid, too. I've met enough IRL who make bots look smart. On the other hand, between propaganda and ad revenue, there are plenty of motivations for fake content and comments. There are sock puppet and bot farms designed to create an illusion of popularity and engagement. I detest A.I. slop and manipulative behavior, and the internet is full of people already primed with rage and little interest in philosophical reflection.