For many people, Wikipedia is considered the last great website standing strong against a tidal wave of toxic social media and questionable AI content. Unfortunately, the shifting currents have shown that not even this online encyclopedia can escape unscathed. Marshall Miller from the Wikimedia Foundation recently showed data, revealing human page views dropped eight percent over the past year. So, why are people visiting this once-popular website less often?
Wikipedia Confronts a Modern Traffic Dilemma
According to Miller, the foundation discovered that improved bot-detection systems revealed a surprising fact. Specifically, sneaky bots designed to avoid Wikipedia’s identification process were the cause of the seemingly high traffic during May and June, not humans. Precisely, how people find information today appears to be the real culprit for this decline in human visitors.
Miller points directly to generative AI and social video platforms to explain that search engines now often use AI to provide direct answers, bypassing links to sites like Wikipedia. Not only that, but younger users are increasingly turning to video content for knowledge. So, what exactly does this all mean for the future? Will people forget how to navigate beyond a single, pre-packaged answer?
When Knowledge Becomes a Ghost Town
With the Wikimedia Foundation welcoming new ways to learn, Wikipedia’s knowledge remains vital even if it reaches people indirectly. Furthermore, they tested their own AI summaries, though they paused the project after editor feedback. Unfortunately, shifting away from direct visits poses a real risk for Wikipedia, as fewer visitors could mean fewer future volunteers to write and edit articles.
Even a decrease in individual donors causes issues, as these donations help support the operation. Given how valuable these volunteers are, this shift is a genuine concern. It’s reported that some people have even managed to disarm a gunman at a Wikipedia conference, proving their dedication knows no bounds. Despite these dedicated efforts, what are these platforms using Wikipedia’s content to drive traffic back to the source?
The Wikipedia Rabbit Hole Needs You
To Miller, AI and social companies benefiting from Wikipedia’s free content must actively encourage more visitors to the website itself. Meanwhile, new attribution frameworks are being developed to help address this problem. Moreover, more teams are forming to help bring new readers to the website. That said, how can everyday internet users help?
According to Miller, everyone will have to support content integrity. When searching for information online, intentionally look for citations and click through to the original source. Secondly, discuss the importance of trusted, human-curated knowledge with other people. They should know that the information powering AI was created by real people who deserve recognition and support. After all, where would any of us be without the trusty Wikipedia rabbit hole?
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