🤖 The internet is dead, long live the internet
Issue #330
It was my birthday on Tuesday, so I took my annual trip to Facebook in the evening with a glass of wine to lap up all the birthday wishes. I was immediately struck by all the AI-generated images in the feed purporting to be factual. There was barely an attempt to cover it up. I guess whoever is posting has a low bar for gullibility. It’s a shame, Facebook in essence could still be good. Like many things. But you can’t wish what you want into existence. Happy Thursday, Simon.
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AI and the dead internet
Could AI-generated content finally kill the internet? With nearly half of last year’s internet traffic coming from bots it’s feeding into the dead internet theory. While that’s a conspiracy, the internet might as well be dead with all the AI, bot-driven and SEO-optimised content that pollutes it. From a creator perspective (and marketers take note) it means moving away from the big social sites (who are all pushing AI whether we want it or not) to something smaller, more organic with greater control. Social networking is moving towards smaller groups sharing an interest in authentic ideas around a specific topic.
Want to work in marketing?
A new report by the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) has found 68% of respondents feel it’s harder to get a job in the industry compared to five years ago. The main roadblock - having to learn niche skills thanks to the rise of AI products. Being replaced by AI isn’t the issue (only 3% are worried about that happening) but it is increasing pressure and anxiety within the profession. It could get worse if audiences start to flat out ignore content they believe has anything to do with AI.
Creator and celebrity election battle
There’s another result being decided in this year’s US election, the power of influencers and creators over traditional communication channels. Some believe endorsements from social creators are just as effective as celebrity ones. Looking at the A-list celebrity endorsements behind Kamala Harris, the winner is clear, it’s the creator. Brand creators went black over the election - a wise move in hindsight.
Cool Tools
So many tabs open that you feel like you’re all trees and no forest? I feel like these simple and tangible short-cut panels are the antidote. Yes, I know there are bookmarks on your screen, but in an overly digital world, you need the physical satisfaction of pressing a single button (the red one?) to get back to base and be on point. That’s why the Elgato Stream Deck Neo appealed for this week’s cool tool. It’s not new, it’s barely even cool, but I like that it’s reliably old school.
Hot Tips
Figma is the go-to user interface/user experience (UI/UX) design tool. It’s killing it in part because it is largely web-based and accessible. That’s the whole idea, to make it simple for the punters. So don’t pay thousands for a course when you can use this four-hour free course on Youtube.
Viral Hits
TikTok might not be around for long in the U.S. now that Donald Trump is president-elect but creators are clearly getting on with things. While the memes were flying the trend on TikTok was how little the election will matter to most people's day-to-day lives. At least for now ...
Stuff from us
Just recently, we had the opportunity to cover the Visa Financial Inclusion Designathon! The 4-day event saw 10 dynamic teams showcase groundbreaking solutions to boost financial inclusion for young and elderly Singaporeans. Have a look at the spectrum of innovative ideas on show in this video!
Happy Thursday
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This week’s newsletter was written by Tim Colman and Simon Kearney, and edited by Andre Howson. Gifs produced by Bayu Wisena .