Websites Overrun by Bots Driven by AI Data Demand • The Register

A report from the GLAM-E Lab reveals that Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAMs) are facing a surge of AI bots harvesting their digital content, which poses a significant threat to cultural collections. Anonymized surveys conducted among 43 organizations indicated that 39 experienced a rise in website traffic attributed to AI training bots. This unchecked data harvesting strains resources and may lead to service outages or increased operational costs for these institutions. While some bots disclose their identity, many do not, complicating efforts to manage their activity. Although defenses from providers like AWS and Cloudflare help, GLAMs still struggle to balance the need for public access with the rising threat of bots. The report urges AI companies to establish responsible practices for accessing online content to ensure the sustainability of cultural institutions. Similar findings were echoed in a concurrent report by the Confederation of Open Access Repositories (COAR).

Source link