The internet is increasingly being mediated by AI, bots, and zero-click experiences, reducing the direct connections between readers and creators that once sustained the open web. While AI makes information more accessible and convenient, it also risks weakening curiosity, diversity of thought, and the economic incentives that support original human-created content. The challenge is not that AI has replaced the web, but that it increasingly sits between people and the original sources of knowledge. The piece argues for greater source transparency, AI neutrality, and product designs that encourage discovery and user agency rather than simply delivering the fastest possible answer.