AI's Data Collection: Publishers Call for Just Compensation to Protect the Open Internet

Matthew Prince, the CEO of Cloudflare, has delivered a dire message about the direction of the media industry, warning that if artificial intelligence continues unchecked, society could face a "Black Mirror"-like reality with a few tech giants dictating the world’s access to information. During a discussion at Fortune Brainstorm Tech and in conversations with WIRED, Prince described how the web’s original economic model—where search engines such as

once functioned as "treasure maps" to guide traffic toward content producers—is now unraveling. He explained that the emergence of AI-driven "answer engines," which provide synthesized summaries instead of traditional search links, is taking away both the audience and revenue streams that publishers have historically relied on Cloudflare CEO warns of a ‘Black Mirror’ outcome if Sam Altman or other AI people control the media [ 1 ].

Prince outlined three possible trajectories for the internet’s future. In the first scenario, the "dead internet," AI-generated material drowns out human-created content—but Prince believes this is improbable because AI still requires content from humans. The second, which he called the "Black Mirror" scenario, envisions AI companies like OpenAI or Anthropic acting as modern equivalents of the Medici family, funding and shaping knowledge to serve their own agendas. Prince cautioned, "Instead of the open web’s chaotic diversity, the world receives information filtered through the perspectives of a select few corporations" Cloudflare CEO Warns AI Could Turn Internet Into a Black Mirror [ 2 ]. The third option, a licensing arrangement similar to

paying for streaming rights, is the most promising, though it’s contingent on AI companies agreeing to fairly compensate content creators.

This conflict is already surfacing in the courts. In September 2025, Penske Media Corporation—the parent company of Rolling Stone and The Hollywood Reporter—filed a lawsuit against Google, claiming the company’s AI Overviews tool exploits publisher content for profit without payment. Comparable legal actions have been initiated against OpenAI, Anthropic, and

. Neil Vogel, CEO of People Inc., condemned Google’s approach as harmful, pointing out that while some AI firms like OpenAI and Anthropic have compensated creators (e.g., Anthropic’s $1.5 billion deal with book publishers), Google has refused to pay for using publisher content in its AI systems Google’s AI is the ‘worst’ for stealing content, says People CEO [ 3 ]. Vogel emphasized the financial impact: Google’s share of traffic to People Inc.’s sites has dropped from 65% to just 25–30%, even though it still represents a third of all visits, making a total ban impractical Google's AI Overviews 'Misconduct' Undermines Publishers [ 4 ].

Cloudflare has responded by introducing new measures. The company rolled out "Pay-Per-Crawl," a solution that lets site owners require payment from AI bots that access their data. Newly registered

clients now automatically deny AI bots unless the bots agree to pay. Leading publishers, such as the Associated Press and Condé Nast, have adopted this system, which uses HTTP 402 payment codes to enforce compensation Introducing pay per crawl: Enabling content owners to monetize AI access [ 5 ]. Prince described this as vital for maintaining an open internet: "If the web disappears, what role is left for Cloudflare?" AI Just Hit A Paywall As The Web Reacts To Cloudflare’s Flip [ 6 ]. This initiative is part of a broader movement, with startups like CrowdGenAI and Spawning.ai supporting consent-based data sharing and monetization.

Still, some doubt how viable these approaches are. Janice Min, CEO of Ankler Media, noted that tech companies have a history of taking advantage of publishers—initially offering lucrative deals, only to change course later. "They show up with money, and it’s tempting to accept, but the incentives don’t last," she said Cloudflare CEO Warns AI Could Reshape the Internet [ 7 ]. Data also shows major gaps in AI access: for OpenAI, the ratio of web crawls to referrals is 1,700 to 1, while Google’s is 14 to 1, highlighting the uneven way AI models profit from online content The dark side of AI monetization – Computerworld [ 8 ]. As these issues come to a head, the internet faces a pivotal moment—between a fragmented, corporate-dominated landscape and a rejuvenated network where creators are rightfully paid. Prince concluded that the future will decide if the web remains "an open arena for ideas" or devolves into a controlled, uniform digital space Cloudflare CEO Warns of a ‘Black Mirror’ Outcome if Sam Altman or Other AI People Control the Media [ 9 ].