A profile of Wikipedia as it faces myriad challenges, including attacks from Elon Musk and the far right, reduced traffic due to AI, and a legal battle in India
As the website turns 25, it faces myriad challenges from regulators, AI, the far right and Elon Musk
Financial Times Darren Loucaides
Related Coverage
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Discussion
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@sjvn
@sjvn
on bluesky
At 25, Wikipedia embodies what the internet could have been - but can it survive AI? zdnet.com/article/wiki... via @zdnet.bsky.social & — @sjvn.bsky.social — #Wikipedia just turned 25, but with #AI stealing its data and readers, will it make it to 30?
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@lsanger
Larry Sanger
on x
Happy 25th anniversary, Wikipedia!
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@lsanger
Larry Sanger
on x
I remember making this subject-based front page. Probably better than the one they have now.
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@25yearsagolive
@25yearsagolive
on x
A new online encyclopedia, “Wikipedia,” is launched as a side project of encyclopedia Nupedia. [image]
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@amritat
Amrita Tripathi
on x
The best thing you can do for @Wikipedia is find something that needs improving and make one edit says @jimmy_wales in conversation with @tweeter_anita as Wikipedia runs 25 🔥 @JaipurLitFest [image]
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@trevortimm
Trevor Timm
on x
Celebrating Wikipedia's 25th birthday at @FreedomofPress : “It's important to understand and appreciate that Wikipedia only exists because of the robust free speech and free press protections that exist in the United States.” https://freedom.press/...
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@chrisoregan
Chris O'Regan
on bluesky
It genuinely is good and important. And it still represents one of the best things about the Web.
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@celebrityhottub
Ryan Nanni
on bluesky
Man how is Wikipedia only 25, what a fuckin champ of a website [embedded post]
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@depthsofwikipedia
@depthsofwikipedia
on bluesky
wikipedia turns 25 today! the last unenshittified major website! backbone of online info! triumph of humanity! powered by urge of unpaid randos to correct each other! somehow mostly reliable! “good thing wikipedia works in practice, because it sure doesn't work in theory” - …
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@newsguy
Steve Herman
on bluesky
As it celebrates its 25th anniversary the non-profit Wikipedia announces new partnerships with Big Tech as it further monetizes its content to train Large Language Models. wikimediafoundation.org/news/ ...
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@wikimediafoundation.org
@wikimediafoundation.org
on bluesky
Twenty-five years ago, Wikipedia was an unlikely idea: a place where anyone could share free knowledge. — Today, it's one of the most visited sites on Earth, not powered by corporate ads, but by people. [image]
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@wikimediafoundation.org
@wikimediafoundation.org
on bluesky
Across 300+ languages, volunteers have written and refined over 65 million articles, helping readers find context, learn, and understand the world. — Here's to 25 years of free knowledge, built by a volunteer community for everyone ➡️ 25.wikipedia.org — #Wikipedia25 [image]
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@emilymbender
Emily M. Bender
on bluesky
So all of the info on Wikipedia is shared under a Creative Commons Share Alike license. Does this mean that MSFT, Meta and Amazon will be making their models freely available? [embedded post]
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@adzebill
Mike Dickison
on bluesky
Because Wikipedia content is openly licensed for anyone to reuse for free, its servers are currently being hammered by AI scrapers. This enterprise deal gives the companies access to a high speed feed, a privilege they pay for. That's all. No AI content in Wikipedia. techcrunc…
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@craiggrannell
Craig Grannell
on bluesky
“In the AI era, Wikipedia's human-created and curated knowledge has never been more valuable” says cherished online encyclopaedia selling its soul to the slop machine. enterprise.wikimedia.com/blog/ wikiped...
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@levikornelsen
@levikornelsen
on bluesky
I'm.... Like, if there's data that *should* be publicly accessible for remix, it's wikipedia. That's part of the POINT. And in terms of a path toward ethical sourcing, it's good. — But my distaste for these platforms and their tactics has reached a level where I'm like “Fucki…
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r/BetterOffline
r
on reddit
Wikipedia inks AI deals with Microsoft, Meta and Perplexity as it marks 25th birthday
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r/news
r
on reddit
Wikipedia inks AI deals with Microsoft, Meta and Perplexity as it marks 25th birthday
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r/technology
r
on reddit
Wikipedia inks AI deals with Microsoft, Meta and Perplexity as it marks 25th birthday
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r/wikipedia
r
on reddit
Wikipedia owner signs on Microsoft, Meta in AI content training deals
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@tjheffernan
Teresa Heffernan
on bluesky
Never donating to them again...they sold out to Big Tech. — “Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales told The Associated Press that he welcomes AI models training on Wikipedia data.” — arstechnica.com/ai/2026/01/w...
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@kottke@mastodon.social
@kottke@mastodon.social
on mastodon
Wikipedia turns 25 years old. (I can't believe it's only been around for 25 years...trying to imagine the web without it is impossible at this point.) https://wikipedia25.org/...
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@nickgarcia
Nick Garcia
on bluesky
@benjedwards.com this isn't a licensing deal! Wikimedia Enterprise charges for the “pipes,” not the content, and the difference between the two is huge. This gets misreported constantly. — arstechnica.com/ai/2026/01/w...
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@nickgarcia
Nick Garcia
on bluesky
There is a lot to learn from Wikimedia's approach to AI training. Information should be free, but that doesn't mean there is no cost to providing it! — Beyond just rent-seeking, there are business models to be found in providing quality access that creates a win-win. — arste…