The platform that was once considered a barometer of high-quality responses to user queries has lost its way. AI is largely to blame for this in many ways.
Have you ever heard of the “dead internet theory”?
It assumes that both bots and algorithm-generated content will soon surpass the digital presence and volume of human works on the internet. We’ve written about this in detail before.
Concern about this prospect has increased significantly with the explosion of generative AI products over the past 24 months.
Platforms like ChatGPT and Google Gemini are quickly becoming a staple for curious people – especially those on the younger page – because the immediate nature of AI harmonizes seamlessly with Generation Z fleeting attention span and love for everything that is short.
As someone who sits right on the cusp of Generation Z and Generation Y, I myself have gone from using the “traditional” method of searching for answers through Ask Jeeves (now Ask.com) or Quora in my teen years, to now moving directly to ChatGPT to gather information from all over the internet.
Five years ago, a hypochondriac could alleviate his neurotic health problems with a Google search that often led him to a Quora answer written by a medical expert. However, with the integration of Gemini, that transition has all but disappeared in 2024.
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The people who spend their time on Quora these days are almost exclusively there on purpose, rather than getting lost down a rabbit hole of discoverability via a search engine. And to be fair, the platform’s user base is still substantial, offering about 400 million active monthly users ab August 2024.
Despite the continued interest in the site, it has largely failed to attract the attention of young people. This will inevitably lead to a decline in engagement if Quora decides not to reinvent itself and continues to procrastinate on the issue.
Negative sentiment is also growing among existing Quora followers. The site has essentially become a Reddit copy, plagued by moderation issues, spam, trolls, and bots. The company’s attempts to automate its moderation have only exacerbated Quora’s negative aspects.
The responses have become more quantity than quality, and the desire to generate massive amounts of revenue has led to an oversaturation of uninteresting topics and questions. To me, the feed really reminds me of the Facebook timeline – and that is not a good thing.
