Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince has issued a stark warning about the impact of artificial intelligence on the internet. Speaking on the WIRED Big Interview Podcast, Prince argued that AI is fundamentally changing how people access information — and not for the better.
According to him, the era of search engines as the “dominant interface of the web” is “long gone.” Instead of guiding users to diverse sources, AI tools now deliver direct answers, often by blending and summarizing existing content. Prince described them as “answer engines” that fail to drive traffic back to the creators — the writers, researchers, and journalists whose work fuels the internet.
The Future of the Internet: Three Scenarios
Prince laid out three potential futures as AI systems replace traditional search:
- Human research disappears – AI fully takes over content creation. However, Prince dismissed this, noting that AI still depends heavily on human-made work.
- The “Black Mirror” outcome – A handful of AI giants dominate global information, employing most creators. Prince compared this to the Medici family’s control of art and knowledge during the 1400s. In this scenario, information risks becoming biased or politicized, with companies tailoring responses to their own views.
- Example: Researchers have already found xAI’s Grok aligning with Elon Musk’s opinions.
- “There will be a conservative one, a liberal one, a Chinese one, and an Indian one,” Prince said, warning of deep information silos.
- The licensing model – AI firms begin paying creators for content, much like Netflix licenses shows and films. For this to work, Prince believes publishers must restrict AI scraping unless compensated.
