I'm not denying that the alphabet groups and corporations heavily manipulate and censor the internet, but in regards to this 'dead internet theory", we'd be stuck with this shitty internet without any help from them.

What you described is more like a 'swamp internet theory' where it smells like shit, you can't grow food or anything useful, and there's parasites everywhere.

The dead internet theory is that there's no actual people, that you're talking to a computer most of the time. For example, when Hillary fell down r/politics went from swamp to mountain river in minutes. People were engaging in civil debate and sounded like actual people. A couple hours later it went back instantly. If it were normal people there wouldn't be this on/off switch or pushed narrative.

The Hillary incident may have been AI or a room full of people with a script, but it was something controlled like that.

I don't think the entire internet is dead, but by now there should be some parts that are totally controlled by AI bots. You get a large place like reddit where you don't remember individuals and a bot can easily operate in that environment.