Patreon Just Put Up a Wall Against AI Training Crawlers

For photographers sharing their work online, publishing an image can come with an uncomfortable question. Where could that photo end up next? As AI companies continue to train models on enormous amounts of online material, creators have pushed for greater control over how their work is collected and used.

Patreon is now taking a firmer position on the issue. CEO Jack Conte announced that the platform has partnered with internet infrastructure company Cloudflare to block AI training crawlers from accessing work published on Patreon.

According to Conte, the protection is already active and operates at the network level across posts published on the platform.

“Creators deserve credit, compensation, and consent,” Conte said in announcing the move. “If that’s not on the table, the crawlers can stay the f*ck off Patreon.”

What This Means for Photographers on Patreon

For photographers, the move is particularly relevant because images posted online can potentially become part of the vast datasets used to develop generative AI systems.

Photographers use Patreon for several purposes, including sharing exclusive images, behind the scenes material, tutorials, editing workflows, and early access to new projects. Some also use the platform to distribute work directly to paying supporters.

Patreon’s new measure is designed to prevent automated AI training crawlers from accessing that material. Rather than requiring individual creators to configure their own websites or blocking rules, the restriction is being applied by the platform itself.

The system relies on technology from Cloudflare, which provides internet infrastructure and security services to websites and online platforms. Cloudflare has developed tools that allow website owners to identify and block bots associated with AI model training.

For photographers who publish exclusive work on Patreon, this adds another technical barrier between their images and automated systems attempting to collect online content for training.

Blocking Crawlers Is Not the Same as Making Images Impossible to Copy

The distinction is important. Blocking AI crawlers does not make photographs completely inaccessible or impossible to copy.

People who are authorized to view a post may still be able to save images, take screenshots, or redistribute content outside the platform. Other automated tools may also attempt to evade detection. Patreon’s measure specifically targets crawlers attempting to access content through its network.

Still, network level blocking can make large scale automated collection more difficult. It also shifts some of the responsibility away from individual photographers, who may not have the technical knowledge or resources to manage bot access themselves.

AI Training Remains a Major Issue for Photographers

The use of creative work in AI training has become one of the biggest points of contention surrounding generative AI. Photographers, illustrators, writers, and other creators have questioned how training datasets are assembled and what level of consent should be required before copyrighted work is used.

For photographers, those questions are likely to remain important as AI generated imagery becomes more sophisticated and increasingly competes for attention across commercial and creative spaces.

Patreon’s approach will not settle the wider debate over AI training, but it gives photographers publishing on the platform another layer of control over automated access to their work. The bigger question now is whether more platforms built around creative work will decide to put similar barriers in place.

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