The weight of optimization

An interesting TechRadar piece which embraces a range of assumptions and speculation about the future of the internet.

 
The bifurcation of the internet is coming

We’ve quietly crossed a threshold. For the first time in the internet’s history, bots outnumber humans online. This milestone signals a deeper shift in how the web functions and for whom (or what) it’s designed for. What started as an ecosystem built by and for humans is increasingly becoming one optimized for agents.

There are 8 billion humans today, and there will likely be about 8 billion in a decade. Human growth is linear. Agent growth won’t be. Within the next few years, I believe an 80/20 internet will emerge: 80% agentic traffic, 20% human...


However speculative it may be, the piece is worth reading. The paragraph below for example, where the intriguing phrase 'weight of optimization' is used. It is possible to imagine a development such as this, but where would it take us if AI works as its proponents expect? Perhaps we should hope it doesn't.


Emotion gives way to precision. The internet that was once chaotic, occasionally quirky, and deeply human starts to flatten under the weight of optimization.