Part 1: The Anything Box
How much is too much? How often do you endlessly scroll through streaming services, only to give up and turn them off? Is it the overwhelming number of choices, or is it your own indecision?
Now imagine an "anything box"—a tool that allows you to write or speak a prompt and instantly generate whatever you desire.
I’m talking about modern AI tools like ChatGPT and others. These systems are evolving rapidly and, soon capable of creating anything you want to see, hear, or experience. I’ve seen videos recently that were so realistic, that I couldn’t tell if they were genuine recordings or AI-generated illusions. Even posts I’ve liked online turned out to be AI-created, flagged with community notes.
This got me thinking: what happens when we can generate any form of entertainment at will? What are the consequences of such power?
Imagine watching a 24-hour live stream of your favorite content creator, entirely generated by AI. If it’s indistinguishable from the real thing, would it still feel authentic? What about hybrid characters designed with all the traits you love most in entertainment?
At what point does the abundance of choice and the perfection of AI-generated content make us lose interest altogether? It reminds me of sandbox-style games: fun and exciting at first, but once you’ve explored every corner and tried every possibility, what’s left to keep you playing? When left to create anything, do we eventually find meaning slipping away?
Part 2: The Splitting of the Internet
The internet has become a cornerstone of modern life, but with AI-generated content advancing at lightning speed, we have to ask: how much is too much?
As of 2023, nearly half (49.6%) of all internet traffic came from bots—a 2% increase from the previous year and the highest ever recorded. By 2030, estimates suggest bot traffic could climb to 55%-65% of total activity.
This trend reminds me of the Dead Internet Theory, which argues that a significant portion of online activity is no longer human-driven. Instead, bots and AI create a false sense of engagement and discourse, dominating the landscape.
Would you still log on if most content were bot-generated? Even with some real content mixed in, I fear it could be drowned out. It only takes one well-resourced individual to run a bot farm, constantly scraping data, manipulating algorithms, and improving its sophistication. The balance of the internet could tip further toward automation.
The New Internet (The Lightnet)
"Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth." (Genesis 11:4, NIV)
I can imagine a future where the internet splits into two distinct spaces. One path could lead to a new internet—what I’ll call the "Lightnet." In this version, identity replaces anonymity, creating a more curated and controlled digital experience.
The technology for this already exists. Think of the TOR network, often associated with the "dark web," which allows users to access encrypted, anonymous networks. Now picture the opposite: a network built on verified identities, where trust is the foundation of access.
Accessing social media or streaming platforms would require your internet service provider (ISP) to support that specific service. Deals between ISPs and platforms would dictate availability, fragmenting the web into competing ecosystems.
These networks might resemble enterprise-style setups used by corporations today. Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) would authenticate users, ensuring that every connection is secure and trusted. Encrypted tunnels between ISPs would form the backbone of this system. While the infrastructure could be complex, its adoption might become necessary if bot-driven chaos drives users away from the traditional internet.
The old internet would still exist—a "wild west" of tunnels within tunnels. But would people prefer the controlled environment of the Lightnet, where every action is monitored and curated?
"That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth." (Genesis 11:9, NIV)
As we face the potential fragmentation of the internet, we must ask: will this scattering bring us closer to connection or drive us further apart?
- Circuit Surfer ⎐⎏⎐⎏
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