Orkut, the social networking platform that once dominated India and Brazil, may be making a comeback. Its founder, Orkut Büyükkökten, has called on users to help revive the platform, emphasizing friendship, community and human connection as key values.

First launched in 2004 as a Google side project, Orkut lost ground to Facebook and was eventually shut down by Google in 2014. However, Büyükkökten is now advocating for a return, warning against the growing influence of algorithms and AI-generated content on social media.

In a letter on Orkut.com, Büyükkökten states: 'Artificial intelligence is extraordinary technology, but it’s dissolving the one premise that made social networking special and worth building: that there was a person on the other side.' He aims to rebuild the internet with 'authentic people, real connection, and genuine belonging.'

Büyükkökten explored a return to social networking in 2016 with the launch of Hello, a platform focused on shared interests, and in 2022 hinted at another venture in a note on Orkut.com. However, he has not specified whether a new version of the platform is in development.

As users are asked to support Orkut's return, one wonders if a platform built on human interaction can thrive in an age dominated by AI and digital algorithms.