According to the study, conducted by entities such as OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, and Google, the maker of Gemini (formerly Bard), findings indicate that as of the conclusion of 2023, a significant proportion of top news websites had implemented measures to block AI crawlers. Specifically, approximately 48% of the surveyed news websites were found to be blocking OpenAI’s crawlers, while 24% were blocking Google’s AI crawler.
The research uncovered a striking correlation between websites blocking Google’s AI crawler and those blocking OpenAI’s crawlers, with almost all sites opting for both measures. Across different countries, variations in blocking rates were observed, with the United States exhibiting the highest rate at 79%, while countries like Mexico and Poland displayed lower rates, hovering around 20%.
Temporal and categorical differences in blocking behaviors were also noted. The majority of websites initiated blocking of AI crawlers immediately upon their release, with exceptions observed in Spain, Mexico, and Poland, where responses were delayed. Notably, throughout the entirety of 2023, no website rescinded its decision to block AI crawlers once implemented.
Furthermore, the analysis revealed disparities based on the type of news outlet. Legacy print publications were found to be more inclined towards blocking AI crawlers compared to broadcasters or digital-born outlets. This observation underscores the diverse approaches taken by different categories of news publishers regarding the accessibility of their content to AI-driven processes.
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