In a dramatic shift that underscores the AI revolution’s insatiable appetite for data, TikTok has surged past tech giants Google and Amazon to become the world’s most scraped website. This remarkable transformation reveals how AI training requirements are fundamentally reshaping corporate data acquisition strategies worldwide.
The AI Training Data Revolution
According to Decodo’s comprehensive 2025 report, TikTok experienced an unprecedented 321% increase in scraping traffic. Consequently, the video platform jumped from outside the top 10 to claim the number one position. This seismic shift demonstrates how AI training needs are driving organizations toward multimodal content sources.
Changing Data Economy Landscape
The data economy is undergoing profound transformation. Businesses are rapidly moving away from traditional text-heavy sources. Instead, they’re prioritizing platforms rich in video, audio, and social interactions. Video and social media now represent 38% of all scraping activity, surpassing both search engines (24%) and e-commerce platforms (22%).
Key Findings from Decodo’s Report
Decodo’s analysis reveals several critical trends:
- YouTube, Coupang, and ScienceDirect joined the top 10 most scraped websites
- This represents the sharpest year-on-year change since tracking began
- Multimodal platforms are becoming primary targets for data extraction
- Traditional data sources are declining in relative importance for AI training
Expert Insights on AI Training Demands
Gabrielė Verbickaitė, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Decodo, emphasizes the critical role of data. “Data might have been the new oil in 2006, but in 2025 it’s the fuel that powers artificial intelligence,” she states. “AI systems require fresh, varied training data at unprecedented scale for effective AI training.”
Competitive Advantage Through Data Diversity
Companies are increasingly recognizing that diverse content inputs provide decisive competitive advantages. Organizations prioritizing varied data sources position themselves better for innovation. Multimodal AI is reshaping not only technology but entire industries through advanced AI training methodologies.
Future Implications for Businesses
The scraping trends indicate several important developments:
- Access to rich external data sources becomes crucial
- Traditional data strategies require complete overhaul
- Investment in diverse data acquisition will accelerate
- AI training quality will depend heavily on data variety
FAQs: AI Training and Data Scraping
Why has TikTok become the most scraped website?
TikTok’s rich multimodal content including video, audio, and social interactions provides ideal training data for AI systems that require diverse inputs.
How does AI training benefit from scraping social media platforms?
Social media platforms offer real-world, varied content that helps AI models understand human behavior, language patterns, and cultural contexts more effectively.
What risks does increased scraping activity present?
Increased scraping raises concerns about data privacy, copyright issues, and potential strain on website resources and infrastructure.
How are companies adapting their data strategies for AI training?
Organizations are shifting from traditional text-based data collection to multimodal approaches that include video, audio, and social interaction data.
What makes multimodal data superior for AI training?
Multimodal data provides richer context, diverse learning examples, and more comprehensive training scenarios that improve AI model performance and accuracy.
How will this trend affect future AI development?
The focus on diverse data sources will likely lead to more sophisticated AI systems capable of understanding and interacting with complex real-world scenarios.
