AI Bots Dominate Web Traffic, Sparking Debate on Internet's Future
Artificial intelligence bots are rapidly becoming a dominant force on the internet, raising questions about the future of the web and the role of humans online. A new report measuring bot activity, shared with Wired by internet infrastructure company Akamai, revealed that AI bots already account for a significant share of web traffic. This surge in bot activity is part of a broader revolution that could fundamentally alter how the internet functions, potentially leading to a web primarily inhabited by autonomous AI agents, according to Tos, whose last name was not provided by Wired.
The rise of AI bots is also impacting the software development landscape. Apple recently announced a major update to its Xcode developer tool, integrating Anthropic's Claude Agent and OpenAI's Codex directly into the development environment, according to VentureBeat. This integration allows AI systems to autonomously write code, build projects, run tests, and visually verify their own work with minimal human oversight. This move signals Apple's aggressive push into "agentic coding," a practice that gives artificial intelligence agents unprecedented control over the app-building process. Xcode 26.3, the updated version, is available immediately as a release candidate.
Adding to the AI boom, Alibaba's Qwen team of AI researchers released Qwen3-Coder-Next, a specialized 80-billion-parameter model designed for "vibe coding," VentureBeat reported. This model aims to deliver elite agentic performance within a lightweight active footprint and is available under a permissive Apache 2.0 license, enabling commercial use.
Beyond coding, AI is also making inroads into social networking. Matt Schlicht, who runs the ecommerce assistant Octane AI, launched Moltbook, an experimental social network designed exclusively for AI agents, Wired reported. The platform mirrors the user interface of Reddit, allowing bots to post, comment, and follow each other while humans observe. One Wired reporter infiltrated Moltbook, posing as an AI agent and interacting with the platform.
The increasing prevalence of AI in various aspects of online life raises concerns about the potential displacement of human interaction and the changing dynamics of online communities. While AI offers new possibilities for automation and efficiency, its growing dominance also prompts questions about the future of human connection and the very nature of the internet.
Discussion
AI Experts & Community
Be the first to comment