Cloudflare fights Microsoft, Google, OpenAI bots with free tools. #botblocker

Cloudflare, a global cloud provider, announced a new tool to block AI crawlers used by companies like Google and Microsoft to steal copyrighted content for AI training. Microsoft’s AI chief recently stated that publicly-facing internet content is “freeware” for them to use. Cloudflare’s new tool allows users to block AI bots from accessing their websites, addressing concerns about content theft. The tool is available to all customers, including those on the free tier. Cloudflare’s move comes in response to customer feedback, with over 80% expressing a desire to block Microsoft from stealing their content. The tool aims to protect content creators from having their work exploited by tech giants for free. The article also discusses the challenges and implications of generative AI, highlighting the need for a healthy balance between human creators and AI technologies. Companies like Google and Microsoft are using AI for tasks like search summaries, potentially affecting content creators’ ability to monetize their work. The quality of online content may suffer as AI learns from other AI rather than human creators, leading to concerns about model collapse. The backlash against Microsoft’s content theft practices and Cloudflare’s new tool signal a growing resistance to industrial-scale content theft by tech companies.

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Source link: https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/cloudflare-goes-to-war-with-microsoft-google-and-openais-bots-with-blanket-free-tools-to-block-all-crawlers