Oxylabs launches AI Studio to simplify web scraping for all users
Oxylabs has announced the launch of its AI Studio platform designed to host advanced AI-based web scraping applications.
The platform debuts with four applications, which are accessible to registered users free of charge. The AI Studio is aimed at simplifying access to web scraping technology and broadening its user base beyond those with in-depth technical knowledge.
According to Oxylabs, the platform enables both individuals and businesses to collect online data for incorporation into business operations or artificial intelligence (AI) innovation efforts. The company states that AI Studio is a response to increasing demand for efficient and accessible tools for public web data gathering.
Features overview
The applications available on AI Studio include an AI-Crawler, allowing users to "use natural language prompts to crawl websites, starting from a specified URL." This tool is designed to locate relevant pages and extract data efficiently.
Another application, the AI-Scraper, enables users to "describe their scraping needs in plain English, removing the need for a complex understanding of parsing." As a result, the parsed data is tailored to the specified requirements given in natural language.
Additionally, AI Studio features Browser Agent, described as an AI-driven tool that mimics human browsing activity based on user-provided, natural language instructions. The fourth application, AI-Search, operates autonomously, searching the web for information requested by users using straightforward English commands.
Targeting a wider audience
Oxylabs has highlighted that AI Studio is suitable for a range of use cases, including both private web scraping projects and business applications. Users have the flexibility to choose which features to utilise and may either conduct the full suite of tasks - crawling, scraping, and parsing - on the platform, or integrate specific services into their internal systems. This integration can be achieved with the use of large language models (LLMs) on the user's side.
"All the apps available on AI Studio follow natural language prompts. Thus, operating them requires only a minimal understanding of web scraping. This way, we enable more developers, interested in public web data, to work on their projects and enhance their skills. At the same time, we are learning which of our experimental apps answer the current market needs, signalling the direction for our future efforts," said Julius Černiauskas, CEO of Oxylabs.
The company aims to develop the range of applications further, building on user feedback to determine which experimental tools best meet market needs. Oxylabs intends to expand the flexibility and integration features of the platform.
"We want to empower the web scraping community, giving them all the control and flexibility they need. Thus, we plan to increase the platform's flexibility and integration capabilities as we move forward," said Černiauskas.
Background and market research
The launch of AI Studio follows a previous release by Oxylabs, OxyCopilot, which the company describes as the first AI assistant for web scraping. After its release, market research conducted by Oxylabs indicated that 77% of web intelligence professionals had experimented with AI-powered web scraping tools, and 86% reported that these tools save time and resources.
Oxylabs sees the AI Studio launch as a continuation of efforts to automate and democratise access to public web data. The company plans to add more apps to the platform and aims to transition research and development projects into real-world applications quickly.
Juras Juršėnas, Chief Operations Officer at Oxylabs, said, "At Oxylabs, we are always about experimenting and being at the forefront of innovation. Thus, when it comes to fast-moving industries like AI, we want to keep up with its pace and move with the agility of a startup, even as our company continues to grow. And this is what AI Studio is all about. It allows tools to meet their real-life applications and unlock their potential as soon as they become viable."
The company also emphasised its commitment to supporting the web scraping community through further enhancements to the platform and by lowering entry barriers for access to web intelligence tools.
