Cybersecurity firm Akamai Technologies, in its new report titled “State of the Internet,” revealed a dramatic increase in artificial intelligence (AI)-powered bot traffic over the past year. According to the data, this type of bot traffic has increased by 300 percent and now accounts for approximately 1 percent of total bot traffic on Akamai’s global platform.

AI bots are in the spotlight

This comprehensive report from the cybersecurity firm, titled “Digital Fraud and Abuse Report 2025,” highlights the significant transformation taking place in the digital ecosystem, with malicious AI bots fundamentally threatening traditional web-based business models. These bots utilize methods such as content scraping and advanced attack techniques.

The report unequivocally states that publishing is the most frequently targeted sector in AI-powered bot attacks. AI bot activity in publishing is seven times greater than in other sectors and accounts for 63 percent of total AI bot triggers.

This means that content creators and digital publishers are at the forefront of what experts describe as a “growing battle for intellectual property protection.”

Following publishing is the e-commerce sector, which recorded more than 25 billion bot requests in just two months. This high number clearly demonstrates the scale of automated attacks on online retailers.