Link: Q&A with Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince on why he thinks AI chatbots are killing the web and journalism, how his pay-per-crawl initiative can fix it, and more (Fred Vogelstein/Crazy Stupid Tech)

Over sixteen years ago, Matthew Prince and Michelle Zatlyn, classmates at Harvard Business School, founded Cloudflare with the idea of enhancing internet security. They initially focused on tracking spammers but quickly expanded their vision to stop all internet threats.

Cloudflare was unveiled in 2010 during the Techcrunch Disrupt competition and has since become one of the top cybersecurity firms, now valued at approximately $70 billion. The company went public in 2019 and rivals major firms like Marriott and UPS in market cap.

Despite his success, Prince is currently focused on addressing new challenges, specifically the threat AI chatbots pose to the web and journalism. He is advocating for a "pay-per-crawl" model, which could force big AI companies to negotiate content rates, potentially through his significant control over global internet traffic.

Prince's concerns are rooted in how AI chatbots could disrupt traditional online economics by diminishing ad revenues crucial for publishers. His unique background, not just in tech but in the liberal arts, shapes his approach to these industry-wide issues.

His solution involves creating scarcity in the digital content market to balance content access and compensation. Prince's strategy includes regulatory and technological tactics to ensure that content creators are fairly compensated.

Prince's innovative approach could redefine the relationships between AI companies, content creators, and publishers, aiming for a fairer distribution of online revenue and access. His broader vision involves not just adapting to technological change but actively shaping it to preserve the vitality of the internet and its content creators.

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