Digg Relaunches: A Human-Centric Social Platform in the AI Age

Digg Returns: Prioritizing Humans in the AI Era

Digg, the once-popular news aggregator, is being relaunched by founders Kevin Rose and Alexis Ohanian. Their goal: to create a human-centric social platform in a world increasingly dominated by AI-generated content.

Speaking at The Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything conference, Rose and Ohanian highlighted the dangers of AI-driven manipulation and the "dead internet theory," where bots create much of the content we see online.

Combating AI Manipulation and Empowering Creators

The rebooted Digg aims to foster genuine human connection. The founders are exploring technologies like zero-knowledge proofs to verify human users and combat bot infiltration. They envision tiered access levels based on verification, ensuring authentic interactions.

Ohanian stressed the importance of compensating community moderators and creators. He criticized platforms that profit from unpaid moderation and emphasized Digg's commitment to creator monetization.

"The days of unpaid moderation...has to go away. I think these people are putting in their life and soul into these communities, and for them not to be compensated in some way is ridiculous to me." - Kevin Rose

Rose recalled how early machine learning algorithms often rewarded fringe content and expressed concern about AI pushing harmful agendas. He contrasted this with Digg's vision of a community focused on real people.

"I think the average person has no idea just how much of the content they consume...is a human using AI in the loop...to manipulate and evade." - Alexis Ohanian

Ohanian's experience with Reddit's handling of hate speech and controversial forums like "r/WatchPeopleDie" further solidified his commitment to building a more values-aligned platform.

Building a Sustainable Future for Digg

While not anti-AI, the founders plan to use AI responsibly, for tasks like site moderation and de-escalating conflicts. Their ultimate goal is to align the interests of users, creators, and the platform itself.

Digg's relaunch represents a push for a more human-centered online experience, prioritizing authentic connection and creator empowerment in the age of AI.