The Wikipedia page on the Dead Internet Theory covers the general idea: Basically, half the traffic of the internet is fake. But then Wikipedia employs FUD to discourage the idea and make it seem that it’s not as bad as all that. You’re not fooling anyone, Wikipedia. (At least, not any more.) That’s just part of the theory.
If you have a Twitter account, it won’t take long for you to see this for yourself in the wild. The problem is astronomical there. Right now, this is test and development of AI. I get that. It’s going to be bad, and “they” know that, but it’s a learning process. Once the bots get good enough to not stand out like this, then they can be used for actual manipulation and influence.
Some day, I hope we get to see behind the curtain, and it becomes public who was doing these things, and why. I mean, to be certain, the CIA and KGB and China’s MSS are all doing it. I wonder if various investment banks are involved, like Blackrock, State Street, et. al., pushing markets around. I also wonder how much companies like Palatir are doing. There are so many competing campaigns running now, and at such scale, I doubt the human mind could really comprehend the full scope of all that is happening.
UPDATE TWO DAYS LATER:
Well, well, well. What do you know? Reddit mods caught Palantir in the act of astroturfing their platform.
“Get out of here, Palantir! This is OUR astroturfing sandbox. Just who do you think you are, anyway?”