Cloudflare Buys Human Native to Let Creators Control and Monetise Their Content for AI Use

Kenya, 17 January 2026 - The Internet is entering a new economic phase, one shaped not just by human interaction but by artificial intelligence.

As AI systems increasingly rely on vast amounts of data to function effectively, the question of who owns, controls, and benefits from online content has become central to the future of the web. Cloudflare’s acquisition of Human Native signals a decisive step toward redefining that future.

For decades, the Internet economy has largely been driven by advertising, attention, and scale. Content creators produced value, platforms distributed it, and revenue flowed unevenly. The rise of AI has disrupted this model, introducing new tensions around data access and compensation. AI developers need high-quality content to train and improve their systems, while creators and publishers are pushing back against the unlicensed use of their work. Cloudflare’s move positions the company at the heart of this evolving landscape.

By acquiring Human Native, an AI data marketplace designed to connect creators directly with AI developers, Cloudflare is laying the groundwork for a more structured and transparent Internet economy. Rather than treating content as a free, extractable resource, this model reframes it as a tradable digital asset, one that can be discovered, priced, and licensed for AI use under clear terms.

At the core of this vision is choice. Content owners can decide whether to block AI access entirely, optimize their material for AI discovery, or monetise it through fair market mechanisms.

Cloudflare’s infrastructure, combined with Human Native’s marketplace technology, aims to support all three options. This flexibility reflects a broader shift toward an Internet where participation in the AI economy is opt-in, not assumed.