The Digester

How 'DumbGlasses' and the veriweb could let people opt out of AI-generated content

Mar 20th 2026

In an imagined near future, wearable tech and a verified human-only web let people filter out AI-generated media and interactions, trading personalization and ad-driven convenience for authenticity and privacy.

  • The scenario imagines smart glasses called DumbGlasses that detect and remove AI-generated images, audio and ads to present an unaugmented reality.
  • Wearers used the glasses to avoid low-quality or misleading AI content and to reduce exposure to AI-curated social interactions.
  • A veriweb emerged as a human-only network that used provenance technology to certify content as AI-free and to block tracking and profiling.
  • Major publishers and services, including a hypothetical Wikipedia move, created outposts on the veriweb to signal authenticity and regain user trust.
  • The trade offs included a comeback in human creativity and privacy alongside a loss of algorithmic personalization, convenience and advertising revenue for tech giants.

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