Almost 50% of all internet traffic are non-human already. Unchecked, it could lead to a zombie internet.

The Internet faces an existential crisis as nearly 50% of all traffic is now non-human, with AI-generated content and bots threatening to overwhelm authentic human interaction[1]. According to recent studies, this includes automated programs responsible for 49.6% of web traffic in 2023, a trend accelerated by AI models scraping content[1:1].

The problems are stark:

  • Search engines flooded with AI-generated content optimized for algorithms rather than humans
  • Social media platforms filled with AI “slop” and automated responses
  • Genuine human content being drowned out by machine-generated noise
  • Erosion of trusted information sources and shared truth

However, concrete solutions exist:

  1. Technical Defenses:
  • Open-source spam filtering tools like mosparo for protecting website forms
  • AI scraper blocking through systems like Anubis
  • Content authenticity verification via the CAI SDK[1:2]
  1. Community Building:
  • Supporting decentralized social networks (Mastodon, Lemmy)
  • Using open-source forum platforms that emphasize human moderation
  • Participating in curated communities with active fact-checking[1:3]
  1. Individual Actions:
  • Using privacy-focused browsers and search engines
  • Supporting trusted news sources and independent creators
  • Being conscious of data sharing and digital footprint[1:4]

“While exposure to AI-generated misinformation does make people more worried about the quality of information available online, it can also increase the value they attach to outlets with reputations for credibility,” notes a 2025 study by Campante[1:5].

  1. It’s FOSS - The Internet is Dying. We Can Still Stop It ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎