Wikipedia’s letting AI help, not headline
Matt V
May 05, 2025
WIKIPEDIA
Wikipedia isn’t handing the reins to AI just yet, but it is giving its editors some much-needed help.
The Wikimedia Foundation runs the site and is rolling out generative AI tools to support its volunteer editors and reduce the repetitive tasks that slow them down.
The idea is simple: let AI handle things like background research, onboarding new contributors, and translating articles so that editors can focus on the more thoughtful bits.
Chris Albon, the Foundation’s Director of Machine Learning, said this won’t change who’s in charge; humans still lead the process.
The tech being used will be open-source, multilingual, and designed with transparency in mind.
Here’s what you should know:
AI will handle repetitive tasks like translation and onboarding
Human editors stay in control, with support from open-source tools
Wikimedia is building a machine-friendly dataset to ease traffic on the site
Just a glorified intern, really
While Wikipedia already uses AI to flag vandalism and check readability, this is the first time editors themselves will get direct access to these tools.
It’s part of a wider effort to support volunteers, especially as the amount of content online keeps growing faster than people can moderate it.
To manage that, Wikimedia is also building a version of its content that’s easier for machines to use, keeping heavy bot traffic away from the main site.
Not replacing humans… just making them less miserable.