“The first explicitly anti-AI social network will emerge. No AI-generated posts, no bots, no synthetic engagement, and proof-of-person required. People are already revolting against AI ‘slop’” – Andrew Yeung – Tech investor
Andrew Yeung: Tech Investor and Community Builder
Andrew Yeung is a prominent tech investor, entrepreneur, and events host known as the “Gatsby of Silicon Alley” by Business Insider for curating exclusive tech gatherings that draw founders, CEOs, investors, and operators.1,2,4 After 20 years in China, he moved to the U.S., leading products at Facebook and Google before pivoting to startups, investments, and community-building.2 As a partner at Next Wave NYC—a pre-seed venture fund backed by Flybridge—he has invested in over 20 early-stage companies, including Hill.com (real estate tech), Superpower (health tech), Othership (wellness), Carry (logistics), and AI-focused ventures like Natura (naturaumana.ai), Ruli (ruli.ai), Otis AI (meetotis.com), and Key (key.ai).2
Yeung hosts high-profile events through Fibe, his events company and 50,000+ member tech community, including Andrew’s Mixers (1,000+ person rooftop parties), The Junto Series (C-suite dinners), and Lumos House (multi-day mansion experiences across 8 cities like NYC, LA, Toronto, and San Francisco).1,2,4 Over 50,000 attendees, including billion-dollar founders, media figures, and Olympic athletes, have participated, with sponsors like Fidelity, J.P. Morgan, Perplexity, Silicon Valley Bank, Techstars, and Notion.2,4 His platform reaches 120,000+ tech leaders monthly and 1M+ people, aiding hundreds of founders in fundraising, hiring, and scaling.1,2 Yeung writes for Business Insider, his blog (andrew.today with 30,000+ readers), and has spoken at Princeton, Columbia Business School, SXSW, AdWeek, and Jason Calacanis’ This Week in Startups podcast on tech careers, networking, and entrepreneurship.1,2,4
Context of the Quote
The quote—”The first explicitly anti-AI social network will emerge. No AI-generated posts, no bots, no synthetic engagement, and proof-of-person required. People are already revolting against AI ‘slop’”—originates from Yeung’s newsletter post “11 Predictions for 2026 & Beyond,” published on andrew.today.3 It is prediction #9, forecasting a 2026 platform that bans AI content, bots, and fake interactions, enforcing human verification to restore authentic connections.3 Yeung cites rising backlash against AI “slop”—low-quality synthetic media—with studies showing 20%+ of YouTube recommendations for new users as such content.3 He warns of the “dead internet theory” (the idea that much online activity is bot-driven) becoming reality without human-only spaces, driven by demand for genuine interaction amid AI dominance.3
This prediction aligns with Yeung’s focus on human-centric tech: his investments blend AI tools (e.g., Otis AI, Ruli) with platforms enhancing real-world connections (e.g., events, networking advice emphasizing specific intros, follow-ups, and clarity in asks).1,2 In podcasts, he stresses high-value networking via precise value exchanges, like linking founders to niche investors, mirroring his vision for “proof-of-person” authenticity over synthetic engagement.1,4
Backstory on Leading Theorists and Concepts
The quote draws from established ideas on AI’s societal impact, particularly the Dead Internet Theory. Originating in online forums around 2021, it posits that post-2016 internet content is increasingly AI-generated, bot-amplified, and human-free, eroding authenticity—evidenced by studies like a 2024 analysis finding 20%+ of YouTube videos as low-effort AI slop, as Yeung notes.3 Key proponents include:
- Ignas (u/illuminoATX): The pseudonymous 4chan user who formalized the theory in 2021, arguing algorithms prioritize engagement-farming bots over humans, citing examples like identical comment patterns and ghost towns on social platforms.
- Zach Vorhies (ex-Google whistleblower): Popularized it via Twitter (now X) and interviews, analyzing YouTube’s algorithm favoring synthetic content; his 2022 claims align with Yeung’s YouTube stats.
- Media Amplifiers: The Atlantic (2023 article “Maybe You Missed It, but the Internet Died Five Years Ago”) and New York Magazine substantiated it with data on bot proliferation (e.g., 40-50% of web traffic as bots per Imperva reports).
Related theorists on AI slop and authenticity revolts include:
- Ethan Mollick (Wharton professor, author of Co-Intelligence): Critiques AI’s “hallucinated” mediocrity flooding culture; warns of “enshittification” (Cory Doctorow’s term for platform decay via AI spam), predicting user flight to verified-human spaces.[Inference: Mollick’s 2024 writings echo Yeung’s revolt narrative.]
- Cory Doctorow: Coined “enshittification” (2023), describing how platforms degrade via ad-driven AI content; advocates decentralized, human-verified alternatives.
- Jaron Lanier (VR pioneer, You Are Not a Gadget): Early critic of social media’s dehumanization; in 2024’s There Is No Antimemetics Division, pushes “humane tech” rejecting synthetic engagement.
These ideas fuel real-world responses: platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon emphasize human moderation, while proof-of-person tech (e.g., Worldcoin’s iris scans, though controversial) tests Yeung’s vision. His prediction positions him as a connector spotting unmet needs in a bot-saturated web.3
References
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO0dI_tCvUU
3. https://www.andrew.today/p/11-predictions-for-2026-and-beyond
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdI0RhGhySI
5. https://www.andrew.today/p/my-ai-productivity-stack
