The return is still not scheduled. So far, Büyükkökten launched a digital petition to gauge public interest and attract potential investors. The initiative also helps to assess the brand's strength before the launch of the new network.
The development strategy has also changed compared to the first version of Orkut, launched in 2004. At that time, the engineer had to program the entire platform, develop the interface, and install the server personally to keep the service running. Now, AI tools and cloud computing services, such as AWS and Google Cloud, speed up the work. According to the founder, tasks that previously took months can now be completed in just a few days with the help of Claude.
The project also targets a broader audience than the old network's users. A market research conducted in Brazil indicated that the brand has 91% recognition in the country. The founder states that the service also sparks interest among members of generations Z and Alpha, who learned about Orkut through stories told by family members.
How will the new Orkut be?
Orkut Büyükkökten believes that the excess of AI-generated content and the popularity of chatbots harm social relationships. In the engineer's view, the internet is facing an epidemic of loneliness, exacerbated by the difficulty of knowing whether an interaction occurs with another person or with an automated system.
In light of this scenario, the founder wants to create a social network that prioritize human connections and communities. To do this, the new Orkut aims to adopt happiness indicators, real relationships, and a sense of belonging, moving away from algorithms that favor controversial content to increase screen time and ad revenue.
Moreover, Büyükkökten states that influencers face difficulties competing with synthetic AI profiles, which can mass-produce videos and photos. Therefore, the new Orkut aims to create an ecosystem that values and supports human creators.
The platform should also rely on artificial intelligence, human moderators, and user participation to identify problematic posts and combat misinformation. Automated tools will help filter suspicious content, and professionals will be responsible for analyzing complaints and situations that require context evaluation. Community members themselves can also report issues.
Büyükkökten argues that technology companies should be held responsible for the lack of mechanisms to contain the circulation of fake news. As an example, he cites deaths related to vaccine misinformation during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The business model should still include integrated advertising on the platform, with space for brands and content creators. The proposal recovers a feature from the original Orkut, which had areas designated for companies, but seeks to preserve the user experience as a priority.
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