Dead Internet Theory Is 17% of the Way to Becoming Reality, Study Finds
A recent study reveals that over a third of new websites are created with AI assistance, raising concerns about the impact of AI on the internet. Researchers found that 35.3% of newly published websites were AI-generated, with implications for the diversity of online content. The study suggests that while AI content is not as factually incorrect as feared, it does lead to a reduction in unique ideas and viewpoints.
- ▪The study indicates that 35.3% of new websites were created with AI assistance, including 17.6% that were completely AI-generated.
- ▪Cloudflare reported that nearly one-third of all internet traffic was driven by bots, highlighting the growing influence of AI.
- ▪The researchers found that AI-generated content is not as factually incorrect as expected, but it does lead to less diversity in ideas.
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More than a third of new websites on the internet were created by AI, according to a paper published online by researchers from Imperial College London, Stanford University, and the Internet Archive. The study is based on data collected by the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine from late 2022 (when ChatGPT kicked off the AI craze) to mid-2025. As of May 2025, the researchers found that 35.3% of all newly published websites on the internet were created with the assistance of AI, including 17.6% of websites that were completely…
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