Cloudflare Empowers Content Creators with AI Audit Tools to Regain Control from AI Bots

Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE: NET), a leading connectivity cloud company, has launched AI Audit, a suite of tools designed to help websites of all sizes analyze and control how their content is used by artificial intelligence (AI) models. This groundbreaking development enables content creators to monitor AI model usage of their content and decide how, or if, these models can access it. Cloudflare is also working on a feature to allow content creators to set fair prices for the use of their content in AI training and retrieval augmented generation (RAG).

AI bots frequently scan websites, often without the knowledge or compensation of content creators, resulting in a significant loss of value. Cloudflare’s AI Audit addresses this by providing a simple, effective way for website owners—from large media companies to personal blogs—to control AI bot access and protect their content.

Matthew Prince, co-founder and CEO of Cloudflare, emphasized the importance of this initiative: “AI will dramatically change online content, and it’s crucial that content creators maintain control. If they don’t, the quality of online information could degrade or be locked behind paywalls. Cloudflare’s global infrastructure aims to set new standards, giving content creators control and fair compensation while supporting AI innovation.”

Key features of AI Audit include:

• Automated AI bot control:Allows websites to block AI bots with one click, putting creators back in control.
• Detailed analytics:Offers insights into when, why, and how AI bots access website content, helping creators differentiate between bots that attribute sources and those that don’t.
• Rights protection and negotiations:Provides analytics to support licensing negotiations with AI model providers, helping creators protect their rights.
• Fair price setting (in development):Future capabilities will allow content creators to set prices for AI access, streamlining transactions and ensuring compensation.