The Era of AI: A Reflection on the Loss of Pure Internet Content

The digital landscape has undergone significant transformation since the introduction of ChatGPT in 2022. This advanced AI has catalyzed a surge in content produced by algorithms, leaving many to ponder the fate of authentic, human-generated material that once thrived on the internet.

In an effort to address this pressing concern, researchers are taking proactive measures to preserve remnants of our online heritage, specifically targeting content created before 2022. Their mission resembles the meticulous effort of salvaging “low-background steel,” which refers to materials largely unharmed by nuclear contamination. Just as this steel is valued for its purity and reliability, the preserved human-generated content serves as a testament to our creativity and originality prior to the AI boom.

As we navigate through this rapidly evolving digital age, one might wonder: has anyone managed to safeguard a copy of the internet as we once knew it? The urgency of this inquiry underscores the importance of acknowledging the past as we embrace the future.

As we move forward into mid-2025, the dialogue surrounding the balance between human creativity and AI-generated content continues to unfold. The quest to maintain a slice of the unblemished internet remains vital, ensuring that future generations can experience the authentic voice of humanity that helped shape the virtual world we inhabit today.