I am really tired of all the AI content, it just feels so lazy. I love web development and it’s hard to see how the internet has changed.
Right now, we are in a time full of false information.
I know I am not a genius or anything, but maybe this can inspire someone else to tackle this issue.
I would love to see a day when the internet is made up of only humans. How can we make this happen? I just don’t know how to make sure that everyone I talk to online is a real person.
Maybe this could work with a new social network where joining needs you to be there in person (like voting). And, every new post could be checked through detailed biometric systems. This wouldn’t be an open web like we are used to, though.
Chance said:
@Asa
That sounds like a nightmare. All to avoid seeing AI images?
It’s more than just AI images now. Meta is already considering fully AI profiles on their platforms, and others are catching up. It’s to make sure you’re really interacting with humans.
Even so, implementing such a system would be very challenging without being super invasive, worse than the AI issues we have now.
@Qi
Just remember that social media platforms are businesses, not for us. We’re the product.
Companies would greatly benefit from AI managing their social media presence – marketing tools make a lot of money.
@Asa
Even if that happened, it would likely just stop bots from posting more than prevent AI from generating the content.
@Qi
Sure, we know that. But I’m wondering what their real plan is.
Money.
@Qi
AI chatbots are already here. Social Media is for entertainment. Who says we have to trust everything? It’s healthy to think of everything online, including this forum, as potentially fake.
Businesses post memes and meaningless content to pull in viewers for their products. AI-driven profiles probably won’t change that.
@Avery
This is where I disagree. Social media is about connecting with people and it goes beyond entertainment. It’s harmful to think everything you see is fake, wherever it is.
The main goal should be to reduce the spread of false information from AI-written content. There’s plenty of talk about how businesses would work on such a platform, but the biggest issue is the unverified, human-free content.
@Niko
So do you think humans never create false information? That humans don’t also show the best sides of themselves?
I believe they do. Being skeptical is a key part of understanding media – and lots of people lack that skill in their social media use. That’s why some feel worse after using social media.
I agree that social media is also for socializing, but I think that fits under entertainment – just like hanging out with friends in real life is enjoyable. I don’t see how that contradicts my point that we should analyze everything we see online before trusting it.
@Avery
Show me where I said that. I thought I was clear that the goal is to reduce misinformation from AI-generated sources because they are way harder to control and spread quickly. Misinformation created by people is a different issue altogether.
Being skeptical is not the same as saying everything online is fake.
Socializing involves much more than just entertainment. Politics is a form of socialization, and I wouldn’t call that entertainment.
I agree we should look critically at what we see, but we should not act as though everything is false until proven right.
@Qi
I think the idea might be to make ads more effective by having you trust that the user is a real person with a real experience, like finding a review and maybe putting Reddit at the end. They could sneak in product talk within regular posts, or even just positive comments about brands. This could impact how we see a company’s reputation, which might help with reports to investors. But maybe I’m just worried.
@Niko
We could also create a second-class citizen system, where we treat AIs like slaves, and what if one day they become aware of this?
If you really want to connect with real humans, I suggest you unplug for a bit. The real world is pretty great and I hope it comes back.
@Chance
Wanting human interaction online is completely fine. This issue isn’t about making everything that way. It’s about creating online spaces where you wouldn’t have to worry about if you’re talking to a real person or not. You can dream about AI taking over, but we’re nowhere near AGI that could do that. Remember, AI isn’t a ‘second-class citizen’ since it’s just code created by humans on a computer.
The internet is part of the real world. You can go outside and be online at the same time. Acting like these are separate is incorrect. This is why local social platforms, like Nextdoor, tend to do well – People want to be sure they’re talking to other humans and not just automated messages.
@Niko
I’m not going to debate this whole sentience thing. Humans are just beings that have learned to use tools, and I don’t think we own the market on that skill.
Social media thrives on being open and easy to access. If it’s too blocked, it won’t grow and just fade away. The more open the process is, the easier it is for tech users to join.
The suggestion to go outside is based on the fact that this idea makes no sense unless applied to niche sites or small chatrooms with a lot of moderation.
@Chance
Believing that humans can create sentience shows a big human ego. We will never have the means to truly mimic sentience, much less create it, not in our lifetime.
And that’s the problem. Remember how I mentioned it would be extremely tough without being way too invasive?
I think you’re showing your hand here. I and many others use technology (and social media) quite a lot outside. This doesn’t solve the problem you brought up, nor does it make it disappear. Just a pointless distraction.
@Niko
Most of what I brought up are technical and social concerns you haven’t tackled. My main point is this isn’t even a problem worth solving because people believe what they choose anyway.
If you have a hard problem, finding a workaround might be the best option. For instance, if you want to do secure and private messaging, you do it directly between two people, not through a main authority. This builds a trust network.
I spend plenty of time outdoors. I just don’t spend it on social media. I thought a lot about this issue when I was doing research for my MS and developed a prototype to use images with usernames, a method others later used here for verification. But in today’s world of high-quality AI, that’s no longer practical and we need to build trust in real life.
My prototype was made to counter misinformation campaigns.
You can’t escape it my friend, you need to interact with the real world to tackle this issue.
Good luck with your website!
@Chance
The suggestion that this problem isn’t worth fixing is just that - for you. Many people would love to have a platform like this. If this post didn’t exist, we wouldn’t be having this back and forth if that wasn’t the case.
Remember I said it would be extremely hard without being super invasive? Or do you need a reminder for the third time?
I was simply discussing the wish for such a platform. I can’t understand why you made it personal.
@Niko
I just proposed a solution: use a social trust network with private key verification.
It’s not invasive; think of it as a handshake. The site can stay open, but for verification, handshakes need to happen in person via an app that uses some wireless tech.
First, build a social network, then create a safe signing app, and then promote it by showcasing real human interactions. Use a blast of humor to market it.
There’s your basic plan and marketing idea. Nothing’s stopping you.