[Mk2000]

I feel like we're going though an evolution of the web, and no matter what we do, it's going to happen. The web is going to change (for better or worse) or die, and there's nothing we can do about it. The web killed printed media to a large degree and AI will do the same, Resistance is futile!

[cootsnuck]

You may be right that resistance is futile. But I don't think adaptation is. And there's no reason our adaptation can't be rooted in resistance.

For example, maybe smaller local forums make a comeback and their communities decide to hide all threads behind auth. (I don't necessarily see that happening, just an example.)

And honestly given the stronger feelings people are developing against what I'll just call "creative use of generative AI", I'm starting to think maybe resistance isn't futile... Poisoning original digital art so it's less useful for image generators...social shaming of AI generated music being laundered on platforms...those things do feel like meaningful steps towards resistance.

[notarobot123]

Printed media, radio and television are still very much alive and well, just not as big as they once were. We've past peak Web but it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

We do need new protocols though.

As a social network the web is collapsing but it is entirely possible that a new kind of internet could emerge in its place. After all, routing around damage is part of the essence of the Internet.

[paul7986]

Without authors being paid to create new content AI is nothing/it's irrelevant!

Either some startup needs to come up with compensation for authors or the big players need to set up a system that still gets authors paid as Im guessing in five to ten years we are not visiting websites. Our soon to be AI friend (Facetime the "friend," or just talk or text it) seen on our lockscreens or in a hologram is visiting all sites to create visuals of the info and displaying/discussing it with us immediately upon request.