AI-Driven ‘Authenticity Crisis’ Sparks User Exodus from Social Media, Jeopardizing Ad and Hiring Revenues

AI-Driven ‘Authenticity Crisis’ Sparks User Exodus from Social Media, Jeopardizing Ad and Hiring Revenues

The authenticity crisis stems from the flood of unverified, formulaic content that buries genuine human voices, compounded by algorithms that amplify outrage and clickbait over substantive dialogue. 

By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | November 6, 2025

New Delhi, November 6, 2025 – A groundbreaking study warns that the explosion of artificial intelligence is eroding the foundations of social media giants, driving users away from platforms like Meta, X, and LinkedIn in favor of more practical AI assistants.

This shift, fueled by a deepening crisis of trust in online content, could slash engagement time by double digits and upend the industry’s multibillion-dollar advertising and recruitment models.The report, titled “The Great Migration: How the AI Authenticity Crisis is Cannibalizing Social Media’s Attention Economy,” was released on November 5 by acclaimed journalist and tech expert Rakesh Raman. Drawing on early data trends, it documents a roughly 10% drop in average daily social media usage among adults in developed countries from 2022 to 2024.

Users, disillusioned by endless feeds of low-effort AI-generated posts—coined “AI slop”—are increasingly turning to tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini for quick, reliable answers rather than mindless scrolling.”This isn’t just a fleeting trend; it’s a fundamental reconfiguration of how people interact with digital spaces,” Raman writes in the paper.

The authenticity crisis stems from the flood of unverified, formulaic content that buries genuine human voices, compounded by algorithms that amplify outrage and clickbait over substantive dialogue. As a result, platforms are losing their grip on users’ attention, the lifeblood of their business.

Recruitment Revolution Looms for LinkedIn

One of the study’s starkest predictions targets LinkedIn’s professional networking empire. Traditional resumes and profiles, Raman argues, are being outpaced by AI-powered platforms that deliver instant skill assessments and verified credentials. Employers, seeking efficiency in a talent-scarce market, may soon bypass social vetting altogether, opting for AI-vetted candidates that promise higher accuracy and lower costs.”This cannibalization of core utility functions is accelerating,” the report notes, projecting a seismic disruption in hiring tech as AI integrates deeper into HR workflows.

Advertising’s Ticking Time Bomb

Social media’s ad-driven revenue engine faces similar headwinds. While AI currently enhances targeting for better short-term yields, the long game is grim: diminishing pools of engaged human eyeballs mean fewer premium ad slots. Worse, AI chat interfaces are evolving into stealth ad venues, embedding “AI Native Ads” seamlessly into user queries—siphoning dollars straight from social feeds.

Raman’s analysis, grounded in user behavior metrics and platform analytics, underscores that this isn’t an extinction event but a call to arms. “Social media must pivot toward fostering verifiable authenticity and human-centric connections to reclaim relevance in a utility-first world,” he concludes.

The full research paper, featuring 10 pivotal findings, a terminology glossary, and ideas for further study, is freely accessible via Zenodo (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17529107) and Academia.edu. Hosted under the European OpenAIRE initiative and backed by CERN, it invites global input to track this unfolding digital migration.

Raman, a national award-winning journalist, tech innovator, and founder of the RMN Foundation, specializes in AI ethics and humanitarian tech. His work bridges journalism with emerging technologies, advocating for equitable digital futures.

About the Author: Rakesh Raman is a national award-winning journalist and technology expert, and the founder of the humanitarian RMN Foundation. He is presently engaged in the development of Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI) applications and the exploration of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) frameworks.

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