Wikipedia Issues AI Developers a Clear Warning: Use Our API or Stop Scraping

Wikipedia laid out a plan to ensure its website continues to be supported in the AI era, despite its declining traffic. In a blog post, the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization that runs the popular online encyclopedia, called on AI developers to use its content responsibly by ensuring its contributions are properly attributed and that content is accessed through its paid product, the Wikimedia Enterprise platform. The opt-in, paid product allows companies to use Wikipedia's content at scale without severely taxing Wikipedia's servers, the Wikimedia Foundation blog post explains. In addition, the product's paid nature allows AI companies to support the organization's nonprofit mission. The move comes after Wikipedia recently noted that AI bots had been scraping its website while trying to appear human. After updating its bot-detection systems, the organization found that its unusually high traffic in May and June had come from AI bots that were trying to evade detection. Meanwhile, it said that human page views had declined 8% year-over-year. Wikipedia's traffic decline is not unique, as many online platforms have seen a similar trend as users increasingly rely on AI-powered tools for information. According to the Wikimedia Foundation, the use of its content through scraping can be detrimental to the organization's mission. "We want to make sure that our content is used in a way that benefits society, not just a select few," said a spokesperson for the organization. "By using our paid API, companies can support our nonprofit mission and ensure that our content is used responsibly." The spokesperson also emphasized the importance of attribution, stating that "when companies use our content, they should give credit to the original authors and contributors." The use of AI-powered tools has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, with many companies relying on these tools to gather and process large amounts of data. However, this trend has also raised concerns about the impact on online platforms and the people who contribute to them. Wikipedia's move is seen as a response to these concerns, and a call to action for AI developers to use its content responsibly. The Wikimedia Enterprise platform offers a range of benefits for companies looking to use Wikipedia's content at scale. In addition to supporting the organization's nonprofit mission, the platform also provides access to Wikipedia's vast repository of content, which can be used for a variety of purposes, including research and development. The platform's paid nature also ensures that Wikipedia's servers are not severely taxed, which can help to prevent downtime and ensure that the platform remains available to users. As the use of AI-powered tools continues to grow, it remains to be seen how Wikipedia's move will impact the online landscape. However, one thing is clear: the organization is committed to ensuring that its content is used responsibly, and that its mission is supported by the companies that use its content.