Block the Bots that Feed “AI” Models by Scraping Your Website

The article discusses the issue of data scraping by AI companies without explicit consent from the data owners. It argues for an opt-in model, where companies can only use data they have been given explicit permission for, rather than an opt-out model. The author suggests several ways to protect data from scraping bots, including using a robots.txt file, firewalls and CDNs, .htaccess files, and specific meta tags for images. The author also mentions the use of AI-specific clauses in contracts to prevent publishers from using, selling, or licensing work for training AI systems.

The article also highlights the lack of transparency in the AI industry and the slow pace of policy and decision making in political circles. It mentions ongoing court cases and debates around the world on this issue. The author warns that none of the suggested protective measures are foolproof as they rely on an honor system, and the most effective way to protect work from scraping is not to put it online at all. The author promises to update the post with additional information as it becomes available.

Key takeaways:

The author argues that AI companies should not use data without explicit consent and suggests a shift from an opt-out to an opt-in model.
Website owners can use robots.txt, firewalls, CDNs, and .htaccess to block data scraping bots from accessing their sites.
Additional protection for images and podcasts can be implemented, but the effectiveness is uncertain due to the lack of transparency in the AI industry.
The author recommends writers and artists to include AI-specific clauses in their contracts to prevent their work from being used for training AI systems.

Block the Bots that Feed “AI” Models by Scraping Your Website – Neil Clarke

Key takeaways:

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