Jimmy Wales Rejects Direct AI Editing On Wikipedia
AI Can Assist But Not Edit Wikipedia Says Wales
WASHINGTON: (Web Desk) – Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales has said that artificial intelligence is still not reliable enough to be entrusted with directly editing articles on the online encyclopedia, citing ongoing concerns about AI-generated inaccuracies.
Speaking to AFP on the sidelines of a climate action event in London, Wales noted that while modern AI systems have improved, the issue of so-called “hallucinations” — where AI confidently presents false or fabricated information as fact — remains a significant challenge.
According to Wales, AI tools could still play a valuable supporting role by helping identify niche developments or emerging topics that might otherwise escape the attention of Wikipedia’s vast community of volunteer editors. However, he stressed that direct article editing by AI remains off the table due to concerns over accuracy and trustworthiness.
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The remarks come as artificial intelligence platforms increasingly rely on content from Wikipedia to generate responses for users. Wales revealed that while visits from AI-powered bots have increased substantially, human traffic to the site has declined by around eight percent.
Despite the drop in user visits, Wales described the trend as noteworthy but not alarming, emphasizing that Wikipedia’s donation-based model does not depend heavily on website traffic. The platform remains one of the world’s most-visited websites and continues to serve as a key source of information globally.
Wales also called on AI companies to contribute financially when making extensive use of Wikipedia’s resources, noting that processing millions of automated requests places significant demands on the foundation’s infrastructure and operating costs.
He added that the organization has already reached agreements with several major technology firms and indicated that steps are being taken to restrict access for entities that fail to engage responsibly.
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