– 49.6% of internet traffic in 2023 was from non-human sources, such as bots
– “Dead internet theory” gaining credibility as AI-powered bots proliferate, claiming majority of internet traffic is auto-generated to manipulate online activity
– Bad bots accounted for 32% of internet traffic, with advancements in AI making it easier for bad actors to create sophisticated malicious bots
The 2024 Imperva Threat Research report reveals that nearly half of all internet traffic is generated by non-human sources, or bots. The “dead internet theory,” initially dismissed as a conspiracy theory, is gaining credibility as AI-powered bots become more widespread. This theory proposes that the majority of internet traffic is auto-generated intentionally to manipulate human online activity. Imperva’s report confirms that bots accounted for 49.6% of internet traffic in 2023, with bad bot activity making up 32% of all traffic.
While not all bots are malicious, bad bots are automated web agents used for fraudulent activities. AI advancements have enabled these bad bots to mimic human behavior, making them difficult to detect. The use of AI technology is increasing the sophistication and prevalence of bad bots, with simple bad bots accounting for a significant portion of total bad bot traffic.
The report emphasizes that APIs are a common target for bad bots, especially as companies rely on them to access AI models for various purposes. Human actors are behind these automated bad bots, seeking to exploit and manipulate humans for their own gain. AI-generated content, including music, videos, influencers, and social media accounts, is on the rise, surpassing human-generated content.
Although initially categorized as a conspiracy theory, the dead internet theory is becoming more plausible in the age of AI-powered bots. As AI technology continues to evolve, the manipulation of internet traffic by non-human sources poses significant challenges for cybersecurity and online security.