Hajra Naz
Wikipedia is taking a stand in the AI era. On Monday, the Wikimedia Foundation shared a plan to ensure its website stays sustainable, even as traffic declines.
In a blog post, the nonprofit urged AI developers to use its content responsibly. Companies must give proper attribution and access content through Wikimedia Enterprise, its paid API platform.
The paid product lets AI companies use Wikipedia content at scale. It also prevents server overload. Plus, paying supports Wikipedia’s nonprofit mission.
The post did not threaten legal action against scraping. But Wikipedia recently flagged AI bots scraping the site while pretending to be human. After updating its bot-detection systems, Wikipedia discovered unusually high traffic in May and June came from bots trying to evade detection. Meanwhile, human page views dropped 8% year-over-year.
Read More: Wikipedia Suspends AI Content Test Due to Editor Backlash
Now, Wikipedia is setting clear rules. Generative AI developers should provide attribution to credit human contributors.
“For people to trust information online, platforms should show where content comes from and encourage users to visit and contribute,” the post reads.
“Fewer visits mean fewer volunteers to enrich content, and fewer donors supporting this work.”
Earlier this year, Wikipedia released its AI strategy for editors. The plan focuses on using AI to help editors with tedious tasks, translation, and workflow tools. AI is meant to assist editors, not replace them.
With generative AI booming, Wikipedia emphasizes ethical AI use, server sustainability, and crediting human knowledge. Its move highlights the tension between AI development and responsible data use.
FAQs
1. What is Wikimedia Enterprise?
Wikimedia Enterprise is Wikipedia’s paid API for companies. It allows AI platforms to access content at scale without overloading servers.
2. Why does Wikipedia want AI companies to give attribution?
Attribution credits human contributors and helps maintain trust in online information. It also encourages donations and volunteer contributions.
3. Has Wikipedia banned scraping?
Not officially. But Wikipedia monitors bots that scrape content and encourages AI developers to use the paid API instead.
4. How is AI used to help Wikipedia editors?
AI helps automate tedious tasks like translation, formatting, and content suggestions. It assists editors but does not replace them.
5. Why is Wikipedia concerned about AI traffic?
AI bots can overwhelm servers and reduce human engagement. Fewer human visits mean fewer volunteers and less funding for Wikipedia’s nonprofit mission.
