'Really Simple Licensing' (RSL) – Open Licensing Standard for AI Crawlers (en.wikipedia.org)

On September 10, 2025, the RSL Collective, co-founded by RSS co-creator Eckart Walther and former Ask.com CEO Doug Leeds, launched Really Simple Licensing (RSL), an open content licensing standard aimed at regulating how web crawlers collect training data for generative AI. This initiative allows web publishers to establish clear terms for data usage, facilitating a more equitable framework for compensating content creators when their material is utilized by AI models. With initial participation from major platforms like Reddit, Yahoo, and Medium, RSL has swiftly garnered interest in the tech community. The significance of RSL lies in its potential to reshape how AI companies interact with web content, addressing growing concerns about data scraping without consent. By introducing a standardized licensing mechanism, RSL not only empowers publishers to define the terms under which their data can be utilized but also enables AI developers to navigate copyright issues more effectively. As the industry continues to evolve, this framework may pave the way for more sustainable practices in data usage, fostering a mutually beneficial relationship between AI companies and content providers.