May 21, 2026
Seen-zoned by humanity
Tell HN: I'm tired of AI-generated answers
People are fed up as every “real” reply starts sounding like a robot in disguise
TLDR: A fed-up user says even when they ask real people for help, they keep getting recycled chatbot answers instead of human responses. In the comments, readers split between doom saying the internet is becoming fake and hopefuls arguing only tight-knit private groups can save real conversation.
The big mood in this Hacker News confession is pure digital exhaustion: one user says they reported malware-filled GitHub projects, asked for help, and kept getting the same useless artificial intelligence answer over and over — first from a chatbot, then from actual humans who appeared to just copy it back at them. That was the spark, but the comments turned it into a full-on internet identity crisis. One top reply came in swinging with a joke — "You're absolutely right! I'm here to help" — before admitting they also can’t stand coworkers who send screenshots of chatbot replies like they’ve solved the case. Ouch.
The strongest opinion? People aren’t just annoyed by bad answers — they’re creeped out by the feeling that nobody is actually talking anymore. One commenter basically invoked the Dead Internet Theory, saying there may be "no going back." Another wondered if all this machine-made writing is already changing how humans write and think, which is the kind of comment that makes everyone stare into the void for a second. The most hopeful camp says the only escape is smaller, private communities where reputation still matters and people know each other well enough to spot fake, lazy replies. So yes, the article is about chatbot fatigue — but the comments make it feel like a drama about trust, loneliness, and whether the internet is quietly becoming one giant auto-reply.
Key Points
- •The author says they asked an AI system what to do about GitHub repositories spreading malware and found the answer unhelpful.
- •After opening a GitHub discussion, the author says multiple replies repeated the same text as the earlier AI-generated response.
- •The author describes a workplace case in which a business owner allegedly answered a task-related question by forwarding ChatGPT screenshots.
- •The author says the forwarded ChatGPT responses were unrelated to the question and incorrect.
- •The author also reports discovering that a Reddit direct-message conversation appeared to be with an AI agent rather than a person.