Prime Highlights
- Creative Commons said it is cautiously supportive of “pay-to-crawl” systems that compensate websites when AI bots access their content.
- The nonprofit stressed that such systems must be responsibly designed to avoid restricting open access or harming public-interest users.
Key Facts
- Pay-to-crawl models are being explored by firms like Cloudflare and Microsoft, as well as startups such as ProRata.ai and TollBit.
- Creative Commons also supports the Really Simple Licensing (RSL) standard, backed by Cloudflare, Akamai, and Fastly, to manage AI crawlers while preserving access to online content.
Background
Creative Commons (CC) has announced tentative support for emerging “pay-to-crawl” systems that would allow websites to receive compensation when their content is accessed by AI web crawlers. The nonprofit said it is “cautiously supportive” of the idea, provided such systems are designed responsibly and protect open access to information.
Pay-to-crawl technology aims to charge AI bots when they scrape online content for training or updates. This approach is getting attention because publishers are losing website visitors as AI chatbots give answers without sending users to the original sources.
In a blog post, Creative Commons said pay-to-crawl could help websites sustain content creation while keeping information publicly available. The organization warned, however, that poorly designed systems could push more content behind paywalls or limit access for groups working in the public interest.
Creative Commons is best known for its copyright licensing framework that allows creators to share work under flexible terms. Earlier this year, the nonprofit introduced a plan to support open AI development by creating legal and technical standards for data sharing between content owners and AI developers.
The pay-to-crawl idea is being explored by several technology firms. Cloudflare has been one of the leading supporters, while Microsoft is building an AI marketplace for publishers. Startups such as ProRata.ai and TollBit are also developing similar models to help publishers monetise AI access to their content.
CC highlighted several risks linked to pay-to-crawl systems, including the concentration of power among large platforms and the possible exclusion of researchers, educators, nonprofits and cultural institutions. The nonprofit suggested rules to fix these problems: don’t use default paywalls, let users access data slowly instead of blocking them completely, and keep systems open and compatible.
Creative Commons also voiced support for Really Simple Licensing (RSL), a new standard backed by companies like Cloudflare, Akamai, and Fastly, which sets rules for AI crawlers while maintaining broader access to online content.
