A colleague from work just shared this article in our internal network, and I think it’s worth resharing:
The rise of AI agents is imposing an invisible tax on the open web, fundamentally disrupting its economic foundation. This disruption stems from a growing misalignment between the context and execution layers of the internet: Currently, AI agents extract data from ad-supported sites (the context layer), providing convenience to users while systematically bypassing the revenue streams (like ads and subscriptions) that fund the content.
To prevent the erosion of the open web (and preserve the diverse content that fuels AI itself), we need the mass deployment of technical and economic solutions. This could include models like next-generation sponsored content, micro-attribution systems, or other novel funding models. Existing AI licensing deals are also proving to be a financially unsustainable Band-Aid, often compensating content providers with a fraction of the revenue they’ve already lost to AI-cannibalized traffic.
The web needs a new techno-economic model where value flows automatically. The key transition for the coming year will be moving from static licensing to real-time, usage-based compensation. This means testing and scaling systems — potentially leveraging blockchain-enabled nanopayments and sophisticated attribution standards — to automatically reward every entity that contributes information to an agent’s successful task.
— Liz Harkavy, a16z crypto investment team
As you might imagine, I spend a lot of time thinking about the future of the web and how AI is transforming it. I’m not really good at predicting the future, but I’m lucky enough to work alongside some of the smartest folks in the web space, and they’re actually working on some pretty cool stuff that I hope I can share soon.
Meanwhile, I’ll keep sharing interesting ideas like this one, as I’m also actively following and digesting as much content as I can about this topic. If you are also interested in it, James Lepage has published an extensive 5-part series on his blog that’s also worth diving into: The future of the web.