Source time Edition date
IndustryOpenAI
Making it easier for websites to express AI training preferences
让网站更容易表达AI训练偏好
OpenAI deferring to a shared robots.txt signal pushes the real tradeoff onto site operators, who must weigh blocking AI training against losing visibility in participating providers' answers.
Judgment
The operative choice shifts to site operators: each must decide whether to publish the shared robots.txt signal, trading away AI training access against the chance of remaining visible in answers from providers that honor it.
Basis
OpenAI announced that it will honor a shared robots.txt signal, describing it as a way for website operators to communicate AI training preferences to participating providers. The mechanism is a site-level signal that providers elect to recognize: operators set the preference, and only providers that participate are expected to honor it. The source names no thresholds, no provider list, and no visibility or traffic figures.
Unclear The source does not identify which providers besides OpenAI participate, how conflicting robots.txt directives are resolved, or what visibility loss operators would face.
Next Check OpenAI's documentation for the exact robots.txt syntax and the list of participating providers.