Matthew Prince, co-founder and CEO of Cloudflare, a U.S.-based web infrastructure and security company, has stated that artificial intelligence (AI)-powered search engines are now displaying answers to user queries directly on the search results page, leading to fewer people visiting original websites. As a result, content creators who rely on advertising and subscriptions are losing valuable traffic, which has emerged as a significant and ongoing challenge for their revenue.
Prince further says, “The economy is definitely changing. The problem isn’t that fewer people are searching the internet, but rather that many questions are being answered directly on Google’s page itself” — meaning, as Zero-Click searches increase, creators are going to lose viewership and ad impressions for the content they produce.
To tackle this situation, Prince has suggested that content creators should refrain from allowing their content to be used freely by AI bots. He says, “The fuel for AI engines is original content; so creators can directly block its use by artificial intelligence (AI) and restrict AI bots’ access to their content. They need to say—‘If you want my content, you have to pay me for it.’” This approach would create scarcity, which could help ensure payment. It can be seen as a strategy to help creators protect the value of their work.Prince’s message is simple: creators must adapt quickly according to the situation. If they don’t take steps to protect and monetise their work, they risk being left behind in a fast-changing digital economy.
Despite the warning, Prince also recognizes opportunities, particularly for creators who produce strong, original work. He said, “I believe that truly valuable original content will become even more valuable in the future.”He says AI can enhance workplace efficiency, and Cloudflare uses it to support their employees, not replace them. He is optimistic that truly high-quality and valuable content will become even more significant in the future. Additionally, AI can augment human skills, acting not as a replacement but as a “superpower.” This is good news, as it highlights the positive impact of AI in specific workplaces.
Nowadays Artificial Intelligence (AI) is generating content so rapidly and extensively that original human-created work is getting lost on the internet. AI-generated content is spreading so widely that audiences are struggling to find or view work made by humans. Clearly, the influence of AI is creating challenges for content creators, but with the right steps, it can be managed. The importance of original content still remains strong, and AI can play a positive role in the workplace.
