Orkut Founder Plans Revival Focused on Authentic Social Connections

Image: TechCrunch · Source

Orkut's founder seeks to revive the defunct social network with an emphasis on genuine human connections, pushing back against algorithm-driven and AI-generated content.

Orkut Büyükkökten, the founder of the original Orkut social network, has called on users to support bringing back the platform, which once flourished in India and Brazil before shutting down in 2014. Through a public appeal on social media and a statement on Orkut.com, Büyükkökten emphasized a renewed mission centered on authentic interactions and meaningful community, contrasting sharply with today's prevalent algorithmic feeds and AI-generated content.

Originally launched in 2004 as a Google side project, Orkut amassed roughly 300 million users at its peak. However, it eventually ceded ground to competitors like Facebook, leading to its closure by Google. Since then, Büyükkökten has pursued other social networking projects, notably Hello—a platform aiming to connect users via shared interests—which operated from 2016 until 2020 but never matched Orkut's scale.

More recently, Büyükkökten hinted at new social networking endeavors incorporating AI and machine learning designed to foster genuine community bonds, but concrete details remain scarce. His latest appeal invites the public to register support for Orkut's revival, though it remains unclear whether a new platform version is under active development or will ultimately materialize.

Büyükkökten expressed concern that modern social networks, heavily influenced by AI, risk losing the fundamental human element that made early social platforms valuable. He advocates rebuilding "the internet we first loved," characterized by authentic people and real connections.

As of now, there has been no official response from Büyükkökten regarding further details or timelines for Orkut's potential comeback. The initiative reflects ongoing debates about the role of AI in social media and a desire for platforms that prioritize human connection over algorithmic content curation.