Wikipedia is frequently characterized as the last reliable website amidst a growing internet dominated by harmful social media and AI content. However, indications suggest that the online encyclopedia is not entirely shielded from larger patterns, with human pageviews dropping 8% year-over-year, as noted in a recent blog post by Marshall Miller from the Wikimedia Foundation.

The foundation aims to differentiate between human and bot traffic, with Miller stating that the recent decline “over the past few months” was uncovered following an upgrade to Wikipedia’s bot detection systems, which seemed to indicate that “a significant portion of the unusually high traffic during May and June was generated by bots designed to avoid detection.”

What is causing the decrease in traffic? Miller highlights “the influence of generative AI and social media on how individuals seek information,” especially as “search engines are steadily employing generative AI to deliver answers directly to users rather than linking to sites like ours” and as “younger users are searching for information on social video platforms instead of the open web.” (Google has challenged the assertion that AI summaries diminish traffic from searches.)

Miller mentions that the foundation embraces “innovative methods for individuals to acquire knowledge” and argues that this does not lessen Wikipedia’s significance, as knowledge derived from the encyclopedia continues to reach users even if they do not visit the site. Wikipedia has even tested AI summaries of its own, but the initiative was halted after complaints from editors.

Nevertheless, this shift poses risks, particularly if individuals are becoming less conscious of the origins of their information. As Miller remarks, “With a decline in visits to Wikipedia, there may be fewer volunteers to grow and enhance the content, and fewer individual donors to support this initiative.” (Some of these volunteers are truly exceptional, having reportedly disarmed a gunman at a Wikipedia editors’ conference last Friday.)

For this reason, he asserts that AI, search, and social companies utilizing content from Wikipedia “must promote increased visits” to the website itself.

He also notes that Wikipedia is implementing its own measures, such as developing a new framework for crediting content from the encyclopedia. The organization has two teams focused on attracting new readers to Wikipedia, and it is seeking volunteers to assist.

Miller also urges readers to “support content integrity and creation” in a wider context.

“When searching for information online, look for citations and click through to the original source material,” he advises. “Discuss with people you know about the significance of trustworthy, human-curated knowledge, and help them realize that the content fueling generative AI was produced by real individuals who deserve their support.”