The web is undergoing a radical transformation, with AI-powered bots increasingly becoming the dominant force on the internet. According to new data from TollBit, a company that tracks web-scraping activity, these autonomous agents now account for a significant share of web traffic. In fact, Toshit Panigrahi, the CEO and co-founder of TollBit, predicts that by 2026, most websites will be inundated with bot traffic.
The rise of AI bots has sparked an arms race between website owners and these automated entities. Bots are becoming increasingly sophisticated, using tactics such as disguising their traffic to appear like human web browsing or sending requests designed to mimic human interactions. This is making it challenging for publishers and websites to maintain control over how bots access their content.
TollBit's report found that training-related bot traffic has been on the rise steadily since last July, while global activity from bots fetching web content for AI agents is also increasing. The company estimates that in the fourth quarter of 2025, one out of every 31 visits to its customers' websites was from an AI scraping bot - a significant increase from just six months earlier.
To combat this trend, many website owners are trying to block or limit AI bots from accessing their content. However, these efforts are often met with resistance from companies that offer web-scraping services, which argue that their activities are legitimate and necessary for various purposes, such as cybersecurity and investigative journalism.
The web-scraping wars have created new business opportunities, with more than 40 companies marketing bots that can collect web content for AI training or other purposes. The rise of AI-powered search engines and tools like OpenClaw is driving up demand for these services, which are becoming a full-fledged marketing channel.
As the battle between website owners and AI bots intensifies, it remains to be seen how this will shape the future of the internet and how businesses will adapt to this new reality. One thing is certain - the web as we know it is changing forever.
The rise of AI bots has sparked an arms race between website owners and these automated entities. Bots are becoming increasingly sophisticated, using tactics such as disguising their traffic to appear like human web browsing or sending requests designed to mimic human interactions. This is making it challenging for publishers and websites to maintain control over how bots access their content.
TollBit's report found that training-related bot traffic has been on the rise steadily since last July, while global activity from bots fetching web content for AI agents is also increasing. The company estimates that in the fourth quarter of 2025, one out of every 31 visits to its customers' websites was from an AI scraping bot - a significant increase from just six months earlier.
To combat this trend, many website owners are trying to block or limit AI bots from accessing their content. However, these efforts are often met with resistance from companies that offer web-scraping services, which argue that their activities are legitimate and necessary for various purposes, such as cybersecurity and investigative journalism.
The web-scraping wars have created new business opportunities, with more than 40 companies marketing bots that can collect web content for AI training or other purposes. The rise of AI-powered search engines and tools like OpenClaw is driving up demand for these services, which are becoming a full-fledged marketing channel.
As the battle between website owners and AI bots intensifies, it remains to be seen how this will shape the future of the internet and how businesses will adapt to this new reality. One thing is certain - the web as we know it is changing forever.
I mean, one in every 31 visits is a bot now? That's wild. Website owners are trying to fight back but it's like fighting a never-ending battle against an army of robots 
. And these companies offering web-scraping services just keep on arguing that they're necessary for cybersecurity and investigative journalism... like that's gonna cut it when the bots are outsmarting us 
. I'm not sure what the future holds, but I do know one thing - my online experience is about to get a whole lot more robotic 
i mean, i get it, they're useful for cybersecurity and all that, but 1 out of 31 visits from bots? that's wild 
anyone else worried about the future of web-scraping services? or are we just gonna have to deal with these AI overlords taking over our internet experiences 
. its like they're on a never endin battle 2 win acces 2 all our info n content 
. no1 can even count how many bots are out there now, but tollbit says its gonna b 1 out of 31 visits by 2026 lol 
. its like they r just pawns in a giant game whr ai bots r the boss 
. And what about all these web-scraping services that are just taking advantage of this trend? They're not even being transparent about it.
. It's gonna be a whole different landscape. We need to figure out how to balance these new technologies with the needs and rights of actual humans online...
. I mean, i know some websites are trying to limit AI bot traffic but its like trying to hold back a tidal wave with a broken reed 
. companies that offer web-scraping services just keep on arguing that their stuff is legit but come on, can't they see how this is affecting the entire ecosystem? and btw, i wonder what TollBit's data would look like 5 years ago when AI bots were still in their infancy 
... I mean, it's crazy to think that by 2026 most websites will be bombarded with bot traffic. It's like, what even is the point of having a website if nobody's actually human visiting? 
It just goes to show how fast tech is advancing and we gotta adapt quickly...
. Training-related bot traffic has been on the rise since July last year, and global activity from bots fetching web content for AI agents is also increasing 
.
. Meanwhile, companies offering web-scraping services just keep coming back with more bots 
. The number of companies marketing bots for AI training or other purposes has gone from zero to hero in just a few years 
️.
? Either way, the web is changing fast, and it's time for us to adapt 
On the bright side, it's good to know that our website views are going to be super exciting – 1 out of every 31 visits is just what I wanted to see on my dashboard every day. Not.