How would you design a human internet protocol?
1 yehudalouis 2 5/28/2025, 2:53:57 PM
A good friend and I have been discussing the growing feeling that we're ready to "leave" the Internet as we know it. The AI slop on the websites we used to find the most utility in is getting unbearable. While I know that there are still high-quality websites hidden in the corners of the Internet untouched by AI (or relatively so), the fatigue we feel is certainly real.
It got us thinking -- if someone were to design a new Web, a new protocol that requires verification that a human is accessing it and only a human is submitting content/interacting/reading, what would the verification process look like?
Parameters for design: - Only humans can access - Only humans can interact (all CRUD must be done by a human) - Anonymity is the default -- if you wish to identify yourself, feel free - Must be able to use existing technology (a web browser)
What would the initial and ongoing realtime verification look like? How would you design it?
- identity. One aspect is establishing an identity. Once an identity is established a probability would be maintained.
- continuity. Always assume someone would convert a human validated identity into a {bot}. Maintain the probability through workflows. Include other presumed humans in the workflow for affirming the continuity of human identities.
- the grind. It seems you anticipate a certain amount of grind a human would go through for vetting, and from this a probability of human would be maintained.
- AI determiners. Are you ruling out the use of agents in rating identities? Algorithms for catching trending behaviors may funnel suspicions to qualified humans.
- accept everything. Reject nothing well formed. If the suspicion probability falls past a threshold simply black hole everything everywhere related to the account. Require a human to battle with admins over account restorations. An access controlled layer of notes and attributes could keep track of all of this.
Inevitably a human feedback loop may accomplish something with time and devotion.
Good luck with that one!