Fastly research shows AI-generated traffic is becoming a significant layer of internet activity. AI-related requests grew approximately 30% between January and May 2026. This growth rate outpaces human-generated traffic by 6.5 times.
AI systems place unique demands on digital infrastructure. Over 50% of AI requests require origin access. In contrast, less than 9% of human requests require the same access.
Organizations must shift strategies from blocking bots to managing machine-based interactions. Fastly suggests businesses should derive value from these automated interactions rather than treating them as threats.