Wikipedia has long been known as one of the few good corners of the internet, a place where people can find accurate, community-edited knowledge without ads, clickbait, or spam.
But even this trusted source is feeling the impact of the changing online world. According to Marshall Miller from the Wikimedia Foundation, human pageviews on Wikipedia have dropped by about 8% compared to last year.
The Wikimedia Foundation keeps track of how much traffic comes from humans versus bots. Miller explained that after a recent update to their bot detection system, they found that much of the high traffic in May and June was actually from bots trying to avoid detection. Once that fake traffic was filtered out, it became clear that real visits from people were falling.
Miller believes that generative AI and social media platforms are partly to blame. More people are now getting their answers directly from AI summaries on search engines instead of clicking on websites like Wikipedia. At the same time, younger users are turning to short videos and social platforms for information instead of visiting traditional websites. Google, however, disagrees with the idea that AI summaries are reducing traffic to sites like Wikipedia.
Even so, Miller says this doesn’t mean Wikipedia is losing its value. The information from Wikipedia still reaches people, even if they don’t visit the site directly. The foundation had even tested its own AI summaries for a while, but stopped after editors raised concerns.
Still, fewer visitors pose some real risks. When fewer people read Wikipedia, fewer volunteers contribute or update articles, and donations that help keep the site running may also decrease. Miller emphasized that AI, search, and social media companies that use Wikipedia’s content should encourage users to visit the site itself and support it.
To adapt, Wikipedia is developing new systems for properly crediting its content and working on ways to reach new readers. The organization has teams dedicated to growing its audience and is inviting volunteers to join in.
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Miller ended his post with a call to action for everyone who values reliable information. He encouraged readers to check the sources when they search online and to talk about the importance of human-created knowledge. As he put it, the information behind AI systems comes from real people who deserve recognition and support.
