Publishers are grappling with whether to block ChatGPT’s bot, and equivalent crawlers from Google and Bing, from using their content to train datasets. Bing and Google have recently provided ways for publishers to opt out of their content being used for AI training without being blocked from their search results. The Independent Publishers Alliance has recommended its members block ChatGPT from crawling their sites, citing cost and prevention of plagiarism as reasons. However, not all publishing bodies agree, with some seeing the potential growth of ChatGPT as a reason not to opt out.
Key takeaways:
- ChatGPT is preparing to start reading up-to-date news stories, posing a threat to news publishers who may lose out on traffic.
- The UK’s Independent Publishers Alliance is urging members to block crawling access for OpenAI and Google.
- Google and Bing have created ways for publishers to opt out of AI training without losing out in search results.
- Many major news publishers, including the New York Times, Reuters, and Bloomberg, have already blocked OpenAI’s ChatGPT.