Cloudflare chief executive Matthew Prince says the internet is moving toward a major shift, with AI-driven bots likely to generate more online traffic than humans by 2027. Speaking at the SXSW conference in Austin, he said the rapid spread of generative AI is already changing how the web is used and how much strain it places on digital infrastructure. Reports Habr.com.
Prince explained that AI agents can create far more activity than a person. If a shopper visits five websites to compare digital cameras, an AI assistant doing the same task might scan thousands of pages across as many as 5,000 sites. That means bot traffic is no longer just background activity, but a growing source of real demand on servers, networks and websites.
Before the rise of generative AI, bots made up about 20% of internet traffic, with Google’s web crawler being one of the biggest contributors. Now, according to Prince, AI systems’ constant need for data is accelerating that growth. He said the industry may need new tools, including temporary “sandboxes” where AI agents can safely run tasks such as planning trips or completing online requests.
Prince also warned that the trend will require more data centers and server capacity. He compared the current surge to the pressure seen during the COVID-19 period, when streaming platforms sharply increased internet load. Research firm TollBit has also reported fast growth in AI bot traffic, while human visits to websites are declining.
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