What's this about?
404 Media documents agent-generated spam pitches, automated reservation attempts and bot-defence friction. The headline's “100%” is an editorial claim, not a measured prevalence estimate.
What exactly is an AI agent here?
Software that uses a model to take repeated actions—send messages, browse pages or book slots—on a person's behalf. At scale, helpful individual automation can create costs for everyone else.
What's the community saying?
HN 214 points, 150 comments.
- People want to identify when a request comes from an agent rather than a human.
- CAPTCHA, paywalls and closed platforms may make the common web less accessible.
- Others argue incentive-driven spam predated AI, which merely accelerates it.