Welcome to the first episode of the Human Internet Theory.

In this episode, I introduce the core idea behind this entire show. I'm responding to something you've probably noticed yourself... which is the huge increase in AI-generated content online. This idea has a name, the "Dead Internet Theory," which suggests that much of the internet is no longer human but is instead populated by bots: both generated and automated content. With recent news about thousands of AI-generated podcasts being created every week, this theory feels more real than ever.

I believe we, as creators, marketers, and educators, need a positive way to move forward. My response is the Human Internet Theory. It's an approach to creating content that focuses on what makes us unique: our thoughts, our point of view, our creativity, and our ability to truly communicate and connect. This show is about making things with a soul.

I'll be your host, Jen deHaan. With my background in technology and education, plus a decade of experience as a performer, I'm here to help you. We will explore how to be more human in a digital world. I’ll share practical steps to build your confidence, find your natural voice on camera or audio, and build real trust with your audience. This show is for you if you want to make your message more human and stand out in the sea of generated content.

Join me as we work to keep the internet a place for real human connection.

Join the Human Internet Theory newsletter & get a FREE workbook to help you create your business persona. https://humaninternettheory.com to grab the PDF.

This is just the introduction! I have another two episodes released so you can get started today.

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RESOURCES MENTIONED

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Paper on Dead Internet Theory: https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.00007

About Sam Altman's Tweet: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2025/09/05/sam-altman-is-starting-to-see-the-dead-internet-theory/

AI-Generated Podcasts Article: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/ai-podcast-start-up-plan-shows-1236361367/

Dan Koe on the Meaning Economy: https://youtu.be/ni04Zp7mUMM

Visit my website for more: https://humaninternettheory.com

Produced by: https://stereoforest.com

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About and Support

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Written, edited, and hosted by Jen deHaan.

Find this show on YouTube at https://youtube.com/@humaninternettheory

Subscribe to this show's newsletter for additional resources and a free 3 page workbook when you join https://humaninternettheory.com

Produced by Jen deHaan of StereoForest https://stereoforest.com

Contact Jen at https://jendehaan.com

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Connect on Socials

• https://linkedin.com/in/jdehaan
• https://tiktok.com/@jendehaan
• https://instagram.com/jendehaan_
• https://jendehaan.bsky.social

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Support

Your support will help this show continue. Funds will go towards hosting and music licensing for this show and others on StereoForest. This show is produced by an independent HUMAN artist directly affected by the state of the industry. StereoForest does not have any funding or additional support.

If you find value in our shows, please consider supporting them with a one time donation at https://stereoforest.com/tip

We love our podcast host Capitvate.fm! Contact me anytime to ask me anything. You can support my shows by signing up with Captivate here: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yzjiytz

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About Jen

Jen's professional background is in web software technology (audio/video/web and graphics), working for many years in Silicon Valley. She has worked in instructional design, writing, marketing, and education in the creative space. She was also a quality engineer for awhile.

Jen became involved in performing, acting, and improv in 2015. She taught dance fitness classes (despite beginning with two left feet), performed in community theatre, and taught and coached improv comedy and acting at several theatres. Jen was also the Online School Director and Director of Marketing at WGIS.

Jen's website: https://jendehaan.com

This podcast is a StereoForest production. Made and produced in British Columbia, Canada.

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So what is the human internet theory? The human internet

theory is a response to the

dead internet theory, which is currently happening or has

already happened on the internet right now.

Only a few days ago, at the time of recording, the Sam Altman

of OpenAI tweeted,

"I never took the dead internet theory that seriously, but

it seems like there are really a

lot of LLM run Twitter accounts now." And then yesterday,

Inception Point AI announced that

they're generating 5,000 new podcasts, planning to

assault our directories and our ears with

3,000 generated episodes every week with fake hosts. And

calling anyone displeased with this

auto-generated content, lazy Luddites. I guess I'm one of

those. So it might be time to take

the dead internet theory seriously if you weren't already

doing so. The dead internet theory started

as a conspiracy about it being dead due to the control of the

internet and the bots. But now,

with the dramatic rise in AI-generated content and those

bots, we need to ask questions about

how we live with and stand out amongst this sea of generated

content and the decline in really

authentic human interaction here. And I'll link a paper

with the description of what a dead internet

theory is for this episode. And I'll also add those

articles about the other things I just

discussed, Sam Altman and these new-generated podcasts

that sort of examine some of these

issues. But there are many more people talking about this

growing issue and how the internet is

dying as all of this generated content really takes over

many of our human spaces and this keeps

happening more and more every day. Like right now, if you

look at YouTube Shorts or if you read Facebook

comments or web articles or do LinkedIn anything, it's

really obvious that this concern is quite

warranted. You really can't miss this generated content

anymore, even if you want to. And the

bot traffic is, well, going up. It's really increasing.

And in all of this stuff, it's going

well beyond M-dashes now. So the dead internet theory

covers some of the quite obvious and

significance changes that we're really witnessing today

with all of this generated content and

other forms of automation. And this show, the human

internet theory, is here to be part of this

conversation around balance, to avoid losing a lot of the

internet. And I'm going to work

to provide actual steps to help make your message more

human in the sea of generated content.

And really, even if I'm wrong and the internet isn't about

to be murdered dead by these bots,

a humanized, authentic internet with great,

trustworthy, real communication is a good

thing to have more of at any rate. At least I think so. So I'm

responding to this dead internet with

the human internet. An internet with humans who share

their own thoughts and point of views and

creativity and really communicate. I'm going to help you

make things with a soul and something

relatable to say. To help you take part in what Dan Coe calls

the meaning economy. I really like

that because I believe that creativity requires you to

like what you make, to have a point of view

that you communicate, to like all of these things that

you're doing and do them with curiosity.

Because these things will always require being human. And

we need that stuff for the undead

part of the internet anyways. So welcome to the human

internet theory. I'll be your host,

Jen deHaan, for this show. And I'm a human. I've been

working in creative software and education

and marketing professionally since 2001 and mostly for

the internet. And I've also been a performer

in various capacities for the past decade. And I'm merging

those things together in this show.

And you can find out more at humaninternettheory.com.

This series is going to talk about how we can

connect with other humans as humans in a digital format.

I'll talk about the craft of acting,

performance, storytelling, point of view, trust and

connection and curiosity as it relates

to digital education and marketing. I'll help you build

confidence and work with your unique

brainwiring about how to perform or educate naturally to

speak as the real you on camera

or by audio. How you can connect to your human audience of

students or customers or clients

and build trust as a human. For example, I'll talk about

making scripted videos sound more

natural like you when you read them. So you can be more you on

screen and build that trust with

your clients. And I'll help you speak without a script too

if you want. I'm an improviser.

Say if you want to reduce those filler words without

needing to read from a script. If that's

you, stick around. I'll help you present yourself to the

digital world, not as a robot, not even

using a robot unless you want to. I mean, I'm not your boss.

But for this human internet theory,

the thing that I'm doing here will focus on using our mushy,

imperfect and but beautiful and real

unique human brains the way they are alongside or instead

of using AI. So join me and follow

or subscribe wherever you're hearing this thing if you

want to fight back against a dead internet

by sharing your own human essence. Episodes will come out

every week wherever you're watching

or listening to this right now, which could be on YouTube or

on a podcast. The newsletter

as well as available if you like typed words and that is that

human internet theory.com.

So let's fight back against this internet being murdered

dead by bots. Bye for now.

Episodes are written, directed, edited and produced by

Jen deHaan at StereoForest.com. Find out more

about this podcast and join our free newsletter for

additional resources at humaninternettheory.com

Find additional videos at the YouTube channel called

Human Internet Theory. Links are also in the show notes.

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