Cloudflare: A New Internet Business Model
3 hours ago
- #Content Monetization
- #AI Impact
- #Internet Evolution
- Cloudflare celebrates its 15th anniversary by reflecting on changes in the Internet over the years.
- Encryption has significantly improved, with over 95% of the Internet now encrypted compared to less than 10% in 2010.
- IPv6 adoption has grown slowly, posing challenges due to IPv4 scarcity and high costs.
- The Internet's business model has remained consistent, relying on traffic generation through ads, subscriptions, or other means.
- Cloudflare chose not to build an ad blocker, recognizing ads as a crucial micropayment system supporting content creators.
- Traffic-based rewards have led to problems like clickbait and ragebait, undermining content quality.
- Answer Engines (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude) are replacing Search Engines, providing direct answers without driving traffic to websites.
- Media companies are particularly affected by the shift to Answer Engines, experiencing dramatic drops in traffic.
- AI-driven Answer Engines threaten the traditional business model of content creators by reducing ad clicks and subscription revenue.
- A new Internet business model is emerging, where AI companies compensate content creators for valuable, original content.
- Cloudflare aims to support this transition by fostering a fair ecosystem where both AI companies and content creators thrive.
- The future Internet may prioritize creative, local, and unique content, incentivized by AI companies paying for knowledge gaps.
- Collaboration among infrastructure providers, AI companies, and content creators is essential for a healthier Internet ecosystem.