Cloudflare and OpenAI launch research pilot to make AI search fresher with real-time network signals

Cloudflare and OpenAI pilot to make AI search fresher

Cloudflare and OpenAI are testing whether real-time network signals can help ChatGPT find and index fresh web content faster. That marks a sharp turn for a company that spent the past year building tools to keep AI crawlers out. Cloudflare has spent a year arming websites against AI crawlers. Now it wants to help one crawl better. The company said on Wednesday it is running a research pilot with OpenAI to test whether its network data can make AI search more accurate. Cloudflare sits in front of more than a fifth of the web. That vantage point lets it watch how pages change and how traffic behaves in real time. The pilot feeds those signals, such as content freshness and traffic quality, into OpenAI's search and answer system. Why freshness matters AI answers rise or fall on the pages behind them. When an index lags, a chatbot serves stale or plain wrong information. OpenAI wants Cloudflare's live view of the web to help ChatGPT discover new content sooner. OpenAI has also signed content deals to feed ChatGPT. This pilot targets a different gap. It tackles discovery, not licensing. "Up-to-date information is important for delivering accurate answers to people using ChatGPT," said Nick Ryder, OpenAI's VP of research. He framed the test as a way to find content more efficiently. A notable turn The move sits oddly against Cloudflare's recent record. Last year it let sites block AI crawlers unless the AI firms paid publishers. It built a browser protocol to tell humans and bots apart. Its slogan was blunt: your content, your rules. This pilot points the other way. Rather than wall content off, Cloudflare now helps an AI engine reach it. CEO Matthew Prince cast it as efficiency, a way to "make AI search more efficient and help people get quality answers faster." Why it matters Search keeps shifting from links to answers. Publishers already fear losing traffic as chatbots summarise their work, a worry that pushed regulators to force opt-outs. Cloudflare now sits on both sides of that line. It sells the tools to block crawlers, and it tests the plumbing to feed them. How the pilot lands could shape who reaches the open web, and on whose terms.

Cloudflare Launches AI Search Research Pilot With OpenAI - Cloudflare (NYSE:NET)

The company disclosed a research pilot in collaboration with OpenAI on Wednesday, aimed at enhancing AI search efficiency by leveraging Cloudflare's extensive network insights. The partnership is expected to explore how real-time network signals can improve the accuracy and freshness of AI-generated content. Launch AI Search Research Pilot Cloudflare and OpenAI are launching a research pilot to investigate how insights from Cloudflare's global network can enhance AI search engines' ability to discover and index relevant content. The pilot focuses on improving the accuracy and timeliness of answers provided by AI systems, utilizing Cloudflare's real-time network insights to refine content indexing. NET Technical Outlook: Momentum And Key Chart Levels Currently, Cloudflare's stock is trading 13.2% above its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) of $235.10 and 27.6% above its 200-day SMA of $208.63. The moving average convergence divergence (MACD) indicator is above its signal line, suggesting that downside pressure is easing, indicating a potential for improving momentum despite the current price dip. * Key Resistance: $277.00 -- a nearby level where rebounds can stall. * Key Support: $250.00 -- a significant psychological level that could attract buying interest. NET Earnings Preview And Analyst Price Targets Cloudflare is slated to provide its next financial update on July 30, 2026 (estimated). * EPS Estimate: 21 cents (Up from 21 cents YoY) * Revenue Estimate: $666.17 million (Up from $512.32 million YoY) Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions: The stock carries a Buy rating with an average price target of $246.19. Recent analyst moves include: * Scotiabank: Upgraded to Sector Outperform (Raises Target to $300.00) (July 7) * Citizens: Market Outperform (Maintains Target to $270.00) (June 15) * Truist Securities: Buy (Raises Target to $250.00) (June 11) How NET Ranks On Momentum Versus The Market Below is the Benzinga Edge scorecard for Cloudflare, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses compared to the broader market: * Momentum: Bullish (Score: 86.41) -- Stock is outperforming the broader market. The Verdict: Cloudflare's Benzinga Edge signal reveals a strong momentum-driven story, suggesting positive performance relative to the market. Investors may find this stock appealing as it continues to innovate and expand its offerings in the tech sector. NET ETF Exposure: Cybersecurity Funds With Heavy Weighting Significance: Because NET carries such a heavy weight in these funds, any significant inflows or outflows for these ETFs will likely force automatic buying or selling of the stock. NET Stock Price Action In Wednesday Premarket Trading NET Stock Price Activity: Cloudflare shares were down 2.16% at $263.02 at the time of publication on Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro data. This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.

Cloudflare, OpenAI launch research pilot on AI search indexing By Investing.com

SAN FRANCISCO - Cloudflare Inc. (NYSE:NET) and OpenAI announced today they are launching a research pilot to explore how network signals from participating websites can help AI search engines index web content, according to a press release statement. The announcement comes as Cloudflare's stock trades at $268.83, near its 52-week high, with the company commanding a market capitalization of $95 billion. The pilot focuses on using Cloudflare's network insights, including content freshness, traffic quality and page changes, to improve the accuracy and timeliness of AI search results. More than 20% of websites operate behind Cloudflare's network. "By sharing our sophisticated network signals, we can find a better way to make AI search more efficient and help people get quality answers faster," said Matthew Prince, co-founder and CEO of Cloudflare. The company has demonstrated strong momentum with revenue growth of 32% over the last twelve months and a gross profit margin of 73%. According to InvestingPro analysis, which tracks over 1,400 US equities with comprehensive Pro Research Reports, analysts predict Cloudflare will turn profitable this year despite current losses. The stock appears overvalued based on InvestingPro's Fair Value assessment, with shares gaining 9% in the past week alone. OpenAI will contribute its models and search system to test whether network-level insights can improve content discovery. The companies will examine how signal-driven crawling and indexing affects answer accuracy and freshness. "Up-to-date information is important for delivering accurate answers to people using ChatGPT," said Nick Ryder, VP of Research at OpenAI. "Piloting this with Cloudflare will allow us to explore whether network-level insights can help us discover content more efficiently." The pilot represents a collaboration between Cloudflare's network infrastructure and OpenAI's search capabilities. Cloudflare's network provides real-time data on content changes and traffic patterns, while OpenAI brings user queries and search technology to the project. The companies did not specify a timeline for the pilot or when results might be available. In other recent news, Cloudflare reported significant developments across multiple fronts. Scotiabank upgraded Cloudflare's stock rating to Sector Outperform from Sector Perform, citing the company's growing role in AI infrastructure. The price target was also raised to $300 from $225, with Scotiabank highlighting Cloudflare's Workers platform as a key driver. Additionally, TD Cowen identified Cloudflare as a top pick for leveraging AI within the cybersecurity sector, noting the rise of AI as a critical inflection point. In partnership news, Cloudflare teamed up with beehiiv to integrate AI crawl control technology into the newsletter platform, allowing publishers to manage AI model access to their content. Furthermore, Cloudflare announced a collaboration with major browsers such as Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge to develop Private Access Control Tokens. This new protocol aims to distinguish between human users and automated traffic without invasive tracking. These recent developments underscore Cloudflare's ongoing efforts to expand its technological capabilities and partnerships. This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Cloudflare, Inc. and Openai Launch Research Pilot

Cloudflare, Inc. announced that it and OpenAI are launching a first-of-its-kind research pilot to explore how insights from participating websites across Cloudflare, Inc.?s global network can help AI search engines discover and index relevant content on the open web more effectively. The pilot is specifically focused on improving the accuracy and timeliness of answers. By using Cloudflare, Inc.?s real-time network insights?such as content freshness, traffic quality, and actual page changes?the project aims to improve AI systems? indexing and crawling of the web. Cloudflare, Inc.?s global network, which more than 20% of the web sits behind, gives it a unique vantage point into how content changes and how traffic behaves in real time. OpenAI brings frontier models, a large-scale search and answer system, and real user queries to test. Together, the companies will examine how signal-driven crawling and indexing can improve accuracy and freshness in answers.