Several major websites have started blocking them of Alphabet Inc Google GOOGLE GOOG from using their content to train artificial intelligence models. This move is seen as a response to the potential threat that AI models pose to the traditional web traffic distribution system.
What happened: The new tool, Google-Extended, allows website owners to block Google from using their content to train AI models. This tool has been adopted by about 10% of the top 1,000 websites, according to data from Originality.ai, Business Insider reported Thursday.
Specifically, the New York Times, which is currently embroiled in an AI copyright dispute ChatGPT-parent OpenAI, also implemented Google’s extended blocking. The publication also limited OpenAI’s access to its content.
Other major websites that have enabled the Google-Extended tool include CNN, BBC, Yelp, and Business Insider.
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Despite this, the report finds that Google-Extended has seen lower adoption than other AI training data blockers, such as OpenAI’s GPTBot, which is active on about 32% of the top 1,000 websites.
Jonathan GillhamCEO of Originality.ai, explained that the lower adoption of Google-Extended could be due to the potential risk of websites not being included in AI-generated results if they block Google’s access to their data.
“If the question is ‘What’s the best deep dish pizza in Chicago?’ and a pizzeria excludes Google’s AI from using data from its website to train, then it will have no knowledge of that restaurant and will not be able to include it in its response,” Gillham explained.
Because matter: This resistance from major websites stems from concerns about the impact of AI models on traditional web traffic distribution.
In December last year, The Atlantic expressed concern that Google’s AI-powered search could potentially answer users’ questions directly, thus reducing the need for users to visit external sites. This could lead to a significant decrease in traffic for publishers like The Atlantic, which relies heavily on Google for about 40% of its web traffic.
Meanwhile, the AI copyright dispute between the New York Times and OpenAI is part of a larger conflict in the AI industry. This conflict has recently intensified, with Elon Musk accusing OpenAI of stealing “everything” after doubts emerged about the company’s sourcing of data for its AI model, Sora.
Photo: Courtesy of Jonny Gios via Unsplash
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This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and has been reviewed and published by Benzinga Editors.