Evolve your marketing for "The Dead Internet"

When the only ones left are AI chatbots, is the party over?

Want to understand how many view today's internet? Imagine the scene of a raucous college party that pretty much wrapped up hours before. It's now 3am, the only thing left in the yard is broken cups, trash, and a couple of sloppy freshmen. Is the party officially over?

Similarly, the internet faces a similar fate. When the only guests are bots clinking virtual glasses and auto-liking each other’s posts, is the party over? Welcome to the Dead Internet theory, the digital equivalent of yelling “Is anyone there?” into a void and hearing a chatbot echo back, “Buy our revolutionary widget!” This isn’t just a tinfoil-hat fever dream; it’s got legs—over 50% of web traffic in 2024 was bot-driven, per Cloudflare, and platforms like X are crawling with more automated accounts than a sci-fi flick’s robot uprising.

For marketers, this undead web is less a horror show and more a cosmic comedy, where the punchline is clear: in a world of synthetic slop, the future of marketing needs human thinking more than ever. Have you wondered why, when scrolling through your social media feed, every ad screams “Unlock your potential!” or “Transform your future!”—copy so generic it could’ve been spat out by a neural network trained on 90's infomercials?

The Dead Internet theory believes the online world is mostly lifeless, as evidenced by the endless sub-par digital content that surrounds us. From AI-generated blog posts stuffed with SEO keywords, deepfake influencers shilling crypto scams and comment sections filled with bots arguing over who loves their air fryer more, online content clutter has humans tuning out. Too many marketers have been focused on their Google search rankings and SEO optimization strategies, which too often focuses more on how much you talk and less on what you actually say. These strategies often conflict with the golden rule of marketing: focus on the customer. That's why it should not be a surprise that, as more bots continue to move into the internet neighborhood, more human customers move out.

The data backs this up: a 2024 Imperva report pegged bot traffic at 49.6% of global internet activity, with “bad bots” (think spam and scraping) outnumbering the good ones. Social platforms are no better—X, your local haunt for real-time buzz, is estimated to have 15–20% bot accounts, churning out likes faster than a caffeinated intern. For marketers, this means your carefully crafted campaign might be preaching to a choir of code, not customers. Imagine pouring your heart into a viral video only for its top commenter to be “CryptoKing420” with a suspiciously robotic enthusiasm. It’s enough to make you want to chuck your smartphone out the window.

But here’s where the wit kicks in: the Dead Internet isn’t a death sentence for marketing—it’s a plot twist. In a world drowning in AI-generated drivel, authenticity is the lifeboat. Brands that lean into their human side—flaws, humor, and all—will stand out like a neon sign in a fog. Think of Wendy’s on X, roasting competitors with sass that feels like it came from a snarky friend, not a machine learning model. Or Glossier, building an empire on real customer selfies, not AI-airbrushed avatars. Customers feel a stronger connection with a brand when they know there is a human behind it.

So, what does the future of marketing look like in this undead digital landscape? It’s less about how to outsmart algorithms and more about how to "out-human" them.

• Double down on human-first content. The Dead Internet thrives on predictable, formulaic content that starts to look and sound the same. That's why its important to make sure your work is truly authentic, because authenticity stands out. Create campaigns that celebrate imperfection—like a social media campaign featuring live-stream interviews of company employees. There should still be a place for generative AI tools in your marketing department, but tread carefully. Your AI bot doesn't know your brand as well as you do and usually doesn't ask you for more information, instead making assumptions. This leads to inconsistent create output. Therefore, overuse of generative AI can water down your brand. Instead, I recommend using generative AI first as a way to extend the reach of previously established work. Asking AI to study your current website and advertising content and recommend a series of social media posts, for example, is much easier to manage than asking the tool to develop a a brand-new campaign.

• Go where the humans are. The Dead Internet loves its echo chambers—algorithm-driven feeds that bury your content under a pile of sponsored posts. Break free by targeting niche communities where real people still hang out. Think Reddit, which has grown rapidly because many see it as one of the last remaining bot-free spaces online. Finally, experiential marketing is your ace: real-world touchpoints cut through the digital fog like a lighthouse.

• Use humor to call out the bots. Nothing says “we’re alive” like poking fun at the absurdity of the Dead Internet. Craft campaigns that wink at the audience, like a social media post saying, “Our ads are 100% bot-free—unlike that spam account that just DM’d you about crypto.” Humor builds trust, and trust builds brands. Just ask Old Spice, whose absurd, human-driven ads turned body wash into a cultural phenomenon.

The Dead Internet should serve as a wake-up call. The best marketers will listen to their customers, will adapt, and in the end will still host a great party. So, crank up the music. It's time show the internet bots what living looks like.

Mark Johnson is president and founder of Human Instinct LLC, a modern marketing consultancy dedicated to blending human insight with cutting-edge AI technology to craft meaningful brand experiences. Based in Chicago, the firm provides strategic marketing, brand strategy and marketing communications strategic counsel and support to customers across industries. Learn more at humaninstinct.net.