Artificial Intelligence Poses Threat to the Future of Free and Open Content Institutions, Including Wikipedia
Date: October 17, 2025
Source: Alsumaria TV – Technology Section
In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into everyday technologies, concerns are mounting about its impact on free and open knowledge platforms, notably Wikipedia. Wikimedia, the nonprofit organization behind Wikipedia and other free content projects, has recently issued warnings regarding the challenges AI poses to reliable knowledge and information accessibility on the internet.
Decline in Wikipedia Traffic Linked to AI Developments
According to a report by Engadget, a technology news website, and statements from Marshall Miller, Wikimedia’s Director of Product, there has been a notable decrease in page views on Wikipedia. This decline is largely attributed to the rise of AI-powered chatbots and AI-generated summaries featured prominently in search engine results.
Miller explains that these changes reflect a broader shift in how users seek information online. Modern search engines are increasingly providing direct answers based on content from sites like Wikipedia, reducing the need for users to click through to the original pages. These AI-driven tools often synthesize information into concise responses, which limits user engagement with the source material.
Challenges of AI-Driven Web Traffic and Content Reliability
Moreover, Wikimedia faces another challenge: the surge in AI-enhanced web crawling bots. These bots simulate human browsing behavior so effectively that distinguishing them from genuine human visitors has become exceedingly difficult. This blurs valuable metrics and complicates sustainable funding and volunteer recruitment efforts.
The continued drop in human visits threatens the sustainability of Wikipedia as a unique large-scale platform that maintains the principles of verification, neutrality, and transparency to provide trusted online knowledge. Miller emphasized that a decrease in traffic could lead to a decline in volunteer contributors and financial support, which are crucial for the upkeep and credibility of Wikipedia’s content.
Calls for Strategic Adaptation
To address these issues, Miller suggested that large language models and search engines need to evolve by allowing users better interaction with original information sources, rather than merely dispensing AI-generated summaries. This approach could preserve the role of Open Content platforms like Wikipedia as foundational pillars of accurate knowledge online.
Broader Implications
Wikimedia’s concerns highlight a growing debate within the tech and information communities about how AI might inadvertently undermine platforms dedicated to open, crowd-sourced knowledge. As AI continues to advance, balancing innovation with support for reliable, human-curated content remains critical.
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