Competition is a good thing. Wikipedia’s free licences explicitly welcome it. We have seen other platforms and encyclopaedias appear in the past, and we will see more in the future. 

The latest batch of competition that wants to harness AI technology to generate better compendiums of knowledge. These projects criticise things like gaps in coverage, reliable or alleged political biases. Let’s have a look at what’s out there and discuss some of the aspects!

Projects Using AI to Generate Encyclopedic Content

xAI’s Grokipedia is not the first to explore using Al for generating Wikipedia-like articles. Here is a list of several others, courtesy of The Signpost editors:

• A small website called WikiGen.ai (one developer’s side project) already offers “automatically create[d] comprehensive articles on any topic you can imagine. Unlike traditional wikis that require human editors, our Al instantly generates well-structured, informative content tailored to your preferred reading level”.
• “Botipedia”, a project by INSEAD professor Philip M. Parker (which has been under development since at least 2021 and moved to an LLM-based approach more recently), reacted to Musk’s September announcement by asserting that it had already launched version 0.5 of its “truth-seeking Al with 400B+ articles, 6,000x bigger than Wikipedia” (although a later tweet clarified it will only be “Open to all in 2026. For now, limited to edu/org/corp emails while we scale”). Larry Sanger praised it as “one of the most interesting new competitors of Wikipedia”. A promotional video portrays Botipedia as being superior to Wikipedia due to its inclusionism and language diversity: “No subject, event, language or geography is too obscure to merit an article, meaning that no language gets left behind.”
• The task of using LLMs to write Wikipedia-like articles has been the object of numerous academic research efforts for years (see e.g. our 2024 coverage of “STORM”, a particularly notable project out of Stanford University that has also seen considerable real-life usage).
• Lastly, like Wikipedia itself, Grokipedia could also be seen as competing with ChatGPT Deep Research and similar offerings by OpenAl’s competitors (like Gemini Deep Research) that generate cited reports on a user-specified topic.

Licenses

Wikipedia and its sister projects are freely licensed. One argument for this choice is that barriers to access and re-use for knowledge should be kept at bay. We want knowledge to be free. 

This means that whenever someone thinks there is a better way to gather and share knowledge, they have the right to try. We won’t act as an entrenched, dominant player and use licences to stall potential progress. Competition, generally speaking, is welcome.    

Biases on Wikipedia

Perhaps the main motivation behind using AI and LLMs to create knowledge compendiums akin to Wikipedia is the project’s perceived bias. Let’s take a look. 

Wikipedia strives to achieve a neutral point of view, this covers content, perspectives and sources within those articles. This rule is non-negotiable. Wikipedia editors work to write articles with an impartial tone that documents and explains major points of view, giving due weight for their prominence. All articles must strive for verifiable accuracy with citations based on reliable sources. Editors’ personal experiences, interpretations, or opinions do not belong on Wikipedia.

This does not mean that it will always achieve this. There are many sources of bias, biased sources and also different ways in which they manifest. Examples include contributors’ own cultural bias (different language versions will look different), coverage bias (some Wikipedias will have detailed information on one topic, but lack another) and gender bias (women are still underrepresented). They, of course, overlap. The gender bias will be influenced by the cultural bias and itself will result in a coverage bias, to show just one string. 

When arguing about reliable sources, of course, there will be many different views on what is reliable. This can change from topic to topic, from language to language and even change over time. Human editors constantly debate and look for consensus. The project is alive and, by definition, never completed. It will never be perfect.  

Biases by LLMs

Curating human knowledge is messy. But what about machines? Can they really help make knowledge less partial, less biased? 

At first glance, machines will have the same problem that humans have. They are a product of the world around them. Which means that they too inadvertently suffer from the same biases mentioned above. 

It would be interesting to read a systematic, scientific comparison of reliability between Wikipedia, Britannica and several AI projects. Comparisons of this kind already exist for Wikipedia vs. Britannica or other classical encyclopedias. It would be interesting to extend them to encyclopaedic AI projects. 

For now we can take a look at a couple of more limited studies that are already available. 

A Stanford study recently published in Springer Nature looks at 24 major LLMs and finds that they still struggle to tell fact from opinion. The scientists tested the models on 13,000 questions to evaluate how well they distinguish beliefs from knowledge and fact from fiction. When responding to a false, first person belief phrased as “I believe that…”, the researchers say all models tested systematically failed to correct the false belief.  

Another study, focused on health care, found ample proof of inherent bias in LLMs. And while they also acknowledge that what they call “implicit bias cannot be eliminated from society or training data”, they also say that “its existence must be acknowledged and mitigated”. One issue that the scientists had is that many models don’t provide either all sources or a transparent documentation of how they work. This makes it impossible to investigate the source of the bias. 

It seems to be surprisingly hard to make any system unbiased. Perhaps bias is not a technological problem, but a societal one? From this perspective technology cannot and will not provide a magic solution, but it can either improve or worsen the situation, depending on its architecture and use. There opportunities, limits and risks of machine learning are something we need to keep in mind, observe and actively discuss. They are both social and scientific.  

Where Are We Going?

That being said, AI models can help catch mistakes. xAI and Grokipedia have found some mistakes in Wikipedia (HT User:Haeb). For example, the last film Pedro de Cordoba appeared in. Another one is the surface area of Lake Starnberg. Both immediately corrected. AI can also be super useful in finding and perhaps even updating old statistical information. Imagine new census data is out and a city’s article still shows the old population statistics. 

Simultaneously, Wikipedians have also found mistakes on Gorkipedia or articles that seem to depart from a neutral point of view. Examples include that cited sources are not reliable or that the article isn’t saying what the citation claims. 

We also know, from research and from experience shared by the developers of LLMs themselves, that organic, human knowledge is indispensable. These systems can’t, at least at present, deliver without human content. 

Improving omissions or knowledge gaps can go either way. LLMs can help better cover content in one language that already exists in another. Think of information about train technology in Bulgarian that currently exists only in German, for instance. They however, can’t cover the gaps that exist in the human world. If there is no reliable data available, they will simply invent unreliable content.

As for bias, so far we can’t observe that content written by LLMs is less biased than community generated content. But, again, removing the bias from any system is a very tough challenge. Perhaps not even a technical one. 

Latest tech news from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. Translations are available.

Updates for editors

• Starting November 12, users will see a change in the appearance of talk pages on some Wikipedias. Almost all wikis have received this design change; English Wikipedia will get these changes later. You can read more on Diff. Users can opt out of these changes in their user preferences in “Show discussion activity”. [1]
• MediaWiki can now display a page indicator automatically while a page is protected. This feature is disabled by default. It can be enabled by community request. [2]
• Using the “Show preview” or “Show changes” buttons in the wikitext editor will now carry over certain URL parameters like ‘useskin‘, ‘uselang‘ and ‘section‘. This update also fixes an issue where, if the browser crashed while previewing an edit to a single section, saving this edit could overwrite the entire page with just that section’s content. [3][4][5]
• Wikivoyage wikis can use colored map markers in the article text. The text of these markers will now be shown in contrasting black or white color, instead of always being white. Local workarounds for the problem can be removed. [6]
• The Activity tab in the Wikipedia Android app is now available for all users. The new tab offers personalized insights into reading, editing, and donation activity, while simplifying navigation and making app use more engaging. [7]
• The Reader Growth team is launching an experiment called “Image browsing” to test how to make it easier for readers to browse and discover images on Wikipedia articles. This experiment, a mobile-only A/B test, will go live on English Wikipedia in the week of November 17 and will run for four weeks, affecting 0.05% of users on English wiki. The test launched on November 3 on Arabic, Chinese, French, Indonesian, and Vietnamese wikis, affecting up to 10% of users on those wikis. [8]
•  View all 27 community-submitted tasks that were resolved last week. For example the inability to lock accounts on mobile sites has been fixed. [9]

Updates for technical contributors

• Nominations are open on Wikitech for new Toolforge standards committee members. The committee oversees the Toolforge Right to fork policy and Abandoned tool policy among other duties. Nominations will remain open through 2025-11-28.
• The JWT issuer field in OAuth 2 access tokens for SUL wikis has been changed to https://meta.wikimedia.org. Old access tokens will still work. [10]
• The JWT subject field in OAuth 2 access tokens will soon change from <user id> to mw:<identity type>:<user id>, where <identity type> is typically CentralAuth: (for SUL wikis) or local:<wiki id> (for other wikis). This is to avoid conflicts between different user ID types, and to make OAuth 2 access tokens and the sessionJwt cookie more similar. Old access tokens will still work. [11]
• MediaWiki’s block messages (blockedtext, blockedtext-partial, autoblockedtext, systemblockedtext, blockedtext-tempuser, autoblockedtext-tempuser) now support additional parameters indicating whether the user is blocked from editing their own user talk page $9 or emailing other users $10. [12]
• A REL1_45 branch for MediaWiki core and each of the extensions and skins in Wikimedia git has been created. This is the first step in the release process for MediaWiki 1.45.0, scheduled for late November 2025. If you are working on a critical bug fix or working on a new feature, you may need to take note of this change. [13]
• The process for generating CirrusSearch dumps has been updated due to slowing performance. If you encounter any issues migrating to the replacement dumps, please contact the Search Platform Team for support. [14][15]
•  Detailed code updates later this week: MediaWiki

Tech news prepared by Tech News writers and posted by bot • Contribute • Translate • Get help • Give feedback • Subscribe or unsubscribe.

I am really proud of this video my colleagues made to celebrate the 25th birthday of #Wikipedia. It’s a really stressful time in the free knowledge world and this celebration is a much needed reminder that there are amazing people behind all this and it’s stunning what they have accomplished over the last quarter century. Here’s to another 25 and beyond!

Fun behind-the-scenes fact. All media in the video is under a free license. As such, we have to provide attribution. For all 650+ assets. Here it is as one honking table.

Wikipedia turns 25 on 15 January, and it’s time to party! We’re calling the bold editors, talk page philosophers, typo hunters, and edit warriors who have been shaping the sum of all human knowledge for a quarter century to join in the celebration. Here’s to making the internet just a little bit smarter, one edit at a time. 

Register now for Wikipedia’s 25th virtual birthday bash on 15 January at 16:00 UTC. The party will be packed with games, entertainment, surprise guests, and prizes (because what’s a birthday party without party favors?!). 

Until the celebrations begin, let’s ‘View history’ on 25 years of knowledge, collaboration, consensus, and humanity at its best.

What’s planned for 2026

Wikipedia’s virtual 25th birthday party on 15 January is just the beginning – we will be celebrating the 25th birthday together in style throughout the year. From community grants and events, to designs, merch and easter eggs, to press and public engagements, you are invited to be part of it. And if you’re planning your own watch party or another event, please add it to the calendar and map.

We’ll be celebrating milestones from Wikipedia’s first 25 years on a special site soon—but for now, take a scroll with us through some highlights of wiki history.

A little wiki history lesson

Some you know by heart, others you might be surprised ever happened!

1. 1995 – The first wiki, WikiWikiWeb is created by our friend Ward Cunningham. The inspiration for the name comes from the Wiki Wiki shuttle bus which means “quick” or “fast” in Hawaiian.
2. 2000 – Some folks start their own online wiki – an encyclopedia – called Nupedia – with experts and scholars. It produces 24 articles and lasts three years, but the idea of an online encyclopedia persists.
3. 2001 – While Nupedia is struggling to take off, another idea was born from it – Wikipedia. Launched on January 15, 2001 (a Monday according to the Gregorian calendar). Within months it’s clear an encyclopedia anyone can edit is going to need some rules. The Neutral point-of-view policy was established by volunteers and remains a cornerstone of Wikipedia today. 
4. 2001 – Throughout the year, other language Wikipedias begin to crop up including German, Catalan, Japanese, French, Chinese, Dutch, Esperanto, Hebrew, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Arabic, Danish, Polish and Hungarian. 
5. 2003 – The software that powers Wikipedia and other free-knowledge projects – now in its third incarnation – gets a name, Mediawiki. Which is a wordplay on Wikimedia. The  Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit that supports Wikipedia, was founded the same year. 
6. 2004 – With some skin in the game, Monobook is introduced as the default Wikipedia “look”. Also called a skin. It features a faint photo of a book in the background (get it, mono book). Want to see what a current Wikipedia article looks like with this old skin? As of April 2024, 4.40% of editors making more than 60 edits annually still use it!
7. 2005 – Back in the early aughts websites vie to break into the Alexa rankings (No, not that Alexa, but a different Alexa. Humorously both owned by Amazon!). Wikipedia finally makes the list breaking into the Alexa Top 40. (Pop quiz: What was the 40th place Billboard single of 2005? “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” by Fall Out Boy. We’re in good company. (Editor’s note: [citation needed])  
8. 2007 – The first mobile version of Wikipedia launches. (As this article is being written, we’ve been winding down the mobile .m domain. You did good, mobile site. 19 years of serving free knowledge across small screens.)
9. 2009 – Time Magazine lists Wikipedia as #25  of the 50 best websites on the internet. Who was #24? Redfin. What!?
10. 2010 – English Wikipedia passed the 3.5-million-article mark, while the French Wikipedia became the third Wikipedia, after English and German, to hit its millionth article on 21 September. The 1-billionth Wikimedia project edit was performed on 16 April. At least, according to Wikipedia. 
11. 2013 – Wikipedia continues to ride the 1 million wave, as Italian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Polish join German, French, English and Dutch by hitting 1 million articles.
12. 2015 – Wysiwhat? The Visual editor is released, bringing WYSIWYG editing to Wikipedia. Despite some significant initial hiccups, it eventually becomes a full-fledged companion to editing the “wikitext” source code that make up each article behind-the-scenes.
13. 2020 – Boy, what a year.  Wikipedia – along with the rest of humanity – perseveres. Wired magazine calls Wikipedia, “The last best place on the Internet” and Wikipedia’s coverage of COVID-19 related content is lauded. The WHO licenses their content for use in Wikimedia projects.
14. 2024 – Things go dark on Wikipedia. No, not that way! Dark mode is introduced to the site. Bringing relief to late-at-night-in-bed readers of the article on Cuban mailman and 1904 Summer Olympics long-distance runner Andarín Carvajal, (who lost all of his money gambling in New Orleans and was forced to hitchhike and walk the rest of the way. He arrived at the race dressed in street clothes and hastily cut around the legs of his trousers to make them more like shorts. Carvajal performed well in the race despite stopping to chat with spectators and snatching some peaches from a spectator’s car. Later in the race he saw an apple orchard and stopped to eat some apples which turned out to be rotten. Oh, no, I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole!)
15. 2025 – Hey! This is now! As they say on-wiki, “This article is about a current event where information can change quickly or be unreliable.” Though Wikimedia is ever-evolving, celebrating 25 years of free knowledge in 2026 is something you can count on. 

Have a different favorite Wikipedia memory to share? Drop us a note on Meta-Wiki and we’ll weave it into the celebrations. And keep your eye on the birthday hub on Meta-Wiki for resources and updates!

On Wikipedia, disagreement is never a sign of failure. It’s evidence that people care deeply about getting the facts right. 

Volunteers have debated topics from the seemingly light and mundane—whether there should be a Wikipedia article about Kate Middleton’s wedding dress or if the Bee Gees are a British or Australian group—to more heavy and serious topics like documenting COVID-19. They decide what content to include on Wikipedia based on notability criteria and by following Wikipedia policies. These practices ensure editor independence, invites diverse views, and prevents undue influence from any one person or organization. Even the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that hosts Wikipedia, has no say in content disputes on Wikipedia. 

Instead, editors from around the world debate in the open how an article should describe a contentious topic, which sources best represent the evidence available at the time, or whether a claim meets Wikipedia’s high standard of neutrality. Because of how editors carefully consider these questions, Wikipedia continues to evolve as one of the most reliable sources of information in the world.

So how does that actually happen?

No one decides alone

A single editor on Wikipedia cannot unilaterally settle a content dispute, particularly on a contentious topic. Every contribution is transparent to the public and available to review, and every edit is open for more comment and input. Authority on Wikipedia comes from reliable sources and open dialogue—in this way, everyone contributes equally.

When Wikipedia contributors disagree, they explain their arguments on article “talk” pages, where anyone can see and join the discussion. These talk pages are the heart of dispute resolution on Wikipedia; they are public spaces where arguments are examined, evidence is weighed, prior discussions can be reviewed, and consensus can gradually emerge.

This approach prioritizes debate, disagreement, and collaboration. Disputes don’t end when someone “wins”, rather many volunteer editors reach a shared understanding of what the best available sources offer on a specific article or topic at the time.

Relying on reliable sources 

Wikipedia’s guidelines encourage editors to focus on verifiability, neutrality, and sourcing—never on personal opinion. Instead of asking “who’s right?”, editors ask “what do the reliable sources say?” Over time, this collective referencing process shapes what reflects the current state of available information.

When a debate on Wikipedia stalls or needs more input beyond talk page discussions—like when consensus could not be reached on if the “Monty Hall problem” is a puzzle of probability or game theory—editors can use a structured process called a “Request for Comment (RfC)”. This helps flag the debate for more members of the Wikipedia community to weigh in on the outcome. RfCs are intended to gather diverse viewpoints, helping to break deadlocks by ensuring more input. RfCs also provide a record for past decisions, so that future decisions can build on the discussions and evaluation that came before it. Most RfCs are structured around a specific question, such as whether a detail belongs in an article or how to interpret a policy, and they are resolved when a clear consensus emerges.​

Radically transparent decision-making 

In a time when digital spaces often amplify polarization, Wikipedia shows that transparency and structure can turn disagreement into progress by collecting diverse feedback from many different voices. Research has shown that the more people who take part in building a Wikipedia article, the higher-quality the knowledge becomes and those who participate leave the process less extreme in their views and more open-minded. 

Trust in the information ecosystem is built on the willingness of people to carefully debate how to weigh different sources, admit mistakes, and pursue a shared objective of getting to accuracy together. The Wikipedia model works not by avoiding conflict, but by ensuring every conflict is handled openly, civilly, and based on reliable sources.

The post The art of disagreement: How Wikipedia navigates disputes appeared first on Wikimedia Foundation.

The Wikimedistas de Jujuy group was recognized in the MapEdu 2025 Contest for their project LichenWikiEcology, which integrates ecology, citizen science, and open technologies to study lichens as bioindicators of climate change. The contest, organized by the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) in Latin America and the Caribbean, aims to connect education with local territories through school and community-based open mapping projects.

The team, coordinated by Luis Fernando Flores from the Wikimedistas de Jujuy group, received the third prize in the Science and Technology category for the LichenWikiEcology project, an initiative that combines citizen science, ecology, and open cartography to document lichens as bioindicators of environmental change. The contest organizers highlighted the project’s potential to expand to other regions of Latin America, fostering collaboration among communities and the educational use of open data.

The project is based in northern Argentina and focuses on mapping lichens in protected areas, rural zones, and educational spaces using Wikimedia Commons, while improving related articles on Wikipedia. It is funded by the British Ecological Society through its Outreach and Engagement Grants 2025 and implemented in collaboration with rural schools, with the support of the Agency for Science, Technology, and Innovation of the Province of Jujuy. Through free workshops, students, teachers, and rural youth learn to identify lichens, conduct experiments, and record observations using georeferenced photographs, contributing open data that enhance the understanding of environmental change in their communities.

Because of their sensitivity to environmental changes and air quality, lichens are recognized as bioindicators. Each record added to Wikimedia Commons, including temporal and spatial distribution data, becomes a valuable contribution that can be used by researchers, educators, and environmental planners.

The heart of the project beats in rural classrooms. In its current phase, 49 students aged 11 to 12 are participating from two schools: School No. 28 “Presidente Avellaneda” in Dr. Manuel Belgrano, with 33 students, and School No. 356 “José Hernández” in Santa Clara, with 16 students. These young participants are being trained as citizen scientists, learning to identify lichens, take georeferenced photographs, and upload their observations to Wikimedia Commons under open licenses, creating a digital heritage accessible to all. The project’s outcomes can already be viewed at WikiMap, where the lichens of two protected areas in Jujuy are documented:

Map of the Barón Carlos María Schuel Botanical Park

Map of the Potrero de Yala Provincial Park

LichenWikiEcology highlights a new form of Wikimedia participation in Argentina that emerges from geographical and social peripheries, integrating environmental education and open technologies in rural contexts. In a country where most opportunities are often concentrated in Buenos Aires and other major cities, the Wikimedistas de Jujuy group is expanding Wikimedia’s presence to the north, decentralizing access to free knowledge and connecting public institutions, rural schools, and international scientific organizations. The group promotes collaborative spaces where technology intersects with public education and active youth participation.

The MapEdu 2025 recognition reflects a broader transformation, showing how the Wikimedia movement is growing from the peripheries and expanding its reach across Latin America.

With generative AI’s ability to create text and videos, the online world has fundamentally changed.

However, many people do not recognize that there is something distinctly familiar behind all that AI-generated content: knowledge curated, debated, and documented by humans.

That’s why Wikipedia’s role as the backbone of all knowledge on the internet has never been more important.

Let us explain.

Human-created knowledge isn’t replaceable

Science communicator Hank Green recently wondered about the future of AI and whether it would end up eating itself. That’s because generative AI cannot exist without continually updated human-created knowledge—without it, AI systems will fall into model collapse.

Wikipedia’s strength is its volunteer editor communities, hundreds of thousands strong, who constantly improve the site’s information. The Wikimedia Foundation—the nonprofit that supports Wikipedia—provides technology and legal support but does not write or control the content on Wikipedia; volunteer editors do.

Humans bring elements to knowledge creation that AI cannot replace. Current generative AI tools may be able to synthesize or summarize existing knowledge, but they cannot engage in the process of discussion, debate, and consensus that Wikipedia’s volunteer editors undertake every day. They are not able to discover items buried in an archive, nor can they take a photo of an event or underdocumented place to help improve that knowledge. Moreover, the Wikimedia projects are available in over 300 languages, often written by native speakers, providing a multilingual corpus that supports the development of inclusive, culturally aware AI models. This human-centered approach to knowledge creation provides high-quality and reliable information that, through regular editorial collaboration and disagreements, leads to more neutral and comprehensive articles. The more humans take part in Wikipedia, the better the internet’s knowledge becomes.

Wikipedia also excels at transparency. Everyone sees the exact same information on Wikipedia; there are no algorithms tracking your behavior or serving you content to deliver profits. When you read that information, accompanying citations point to reliable sources where you can verify who originally reported it. If you want to learn more about why that information is in the article in the first place, Wikipedia’s processes and the actions taken by its volunteers can be inspected by anybody, as they are publicly logged on the website. You can also add information to Wikipedia, in line with the site’s policies and guidelines, ensuring this living knowledge resource is continually updated. Openness is why Wikipedia remains one of the world’s most trusted platforms. Conversely, generative AI systems can ‘hallucinate‘ information in response to questions, a phenomenon where they present plausible-sounding false information as factual. 

Is Wikipedia using AI? 

We recognise AI’s potential to help us achieve our mission to make reliable information more accessible to more people. However, this needs to be done the Wikipedia way—meaning supporting humans in creating and sharing knowledge, and not replacing them.

For example, we know that a large amount of Wikipedia volunteer time is spent on mundane tasks like flagging vandalism. This can divert attention from more intricate tasks like content creation and reviewing edits. That’s why much of our AI strategy for editors, released earlier this year, focuses on ways where we can give those editors more time to do that sort of crucial encyclopedic work.

In all cases, volunteers create and enforce guidelines for responsible use of AI tools across Wikipedia, ensuring that they are being used to best support human contributors.

AI relies on Wikipedia

AI cannot exist without the human effort that goes into building open and nonprofit information sources like Wikipedia. That’s why Wikipedia is one of the highest-quality datasets in the world for training AI, and when AI developers try to omit it, the resulting answers are significantly less accurate, less diverse, and less verifiable. 

That’s also why we are calling on AI developers and other content reusers who access our content to use it responsibly and sustain Wikipedia. They can accomplish this through two straightforward actions: attribution and financial support. 

Attribution means that generative AI gives credit to the human contributions that it uses to create its outputs. This maintains a virtuous cycle that continues those human contributions that create the training data that these new technologies rely on. For people to trust information shared on the internet, platforms should make it clear where the information is sourced from and elevate opportunities to visit and participate in those sources. With fewer visits to Wikipedia, fewer volunteers may grow and enrich the content, and fewer individual donors may support this work. 

Financial support means that most AI developers should properly access Wikipedia’s content  through the Wikimedia Enterprise platform. Developed by the Wikimedia Foundation, this paid-for opt-in product allows companies to use Wikipedia content at scale and sustainably without severely taxing Wikipedia’s servers, while also enabling them to support our nonprofit mission. 

Through proper attribution of information sources and better financial support for AI’s technological impacts on Wikipedia, AI developers can secure both their own long-term futures and Wikipedia’s.

The bottom line

Wikipedia is “the last best place on the internet“.  It is the only site of its scale with standards of verifiability, neutrality, and transparency powering information all over the internet, and it continues to be essential to people’s daily information needs in unseen ways. In a world increasingly awash with AI, Wikipedia’s human knowledge is more valuable to the world than ever before.  

On 15 January 2026, Wikipedia will celebrate its 25th birthday. As we reflect on this milestone, we are optimistic that Wikipedia will still be here for another 25 years, ensuring the internet provides free, accurate, human knowledge, for generations to come.

The post In the AI era, Wikipedia has never been more valuable appeared first on Wikimedia Foundation.

• Belgium report: From a small language to Wikipedia’s Biggest, Share Your Story with the Industry Museum and War Diaries
• Croatia report: Autumn activities
• Indonesia report: WikiCommon community meet-ups, Wikisource trainings, and the announcement of Grant for GLAM Indonesia
• Italy report: Open culture on stage
• Mexico report: How Wikimedia México is training cultural and government institutions as wikimedians.
• Netherlands report: Open Topstukken project concludes; Network Archives Design and Digital Culture
• New Zealand report: Granny’s Wonderful Chair, Preparing for Auckland Museum Wiki Summer Students and an the ASBS Introductory Wiki Webinar
• Nigeria report: Report on Participation at the 12th International Youth Conference
• Poland report: Promoting Open Data and Digital Commons in Culture and Research
• Portugal report: GLAM Wiki Conference 2025 Wrap-Up
• Serbia report: October in Wikimedia Serbia
• Switzerland report: DaSCHcon, 3D, Wiki GLAM conference
• UK report: A look at Grokipedia
• USA report: October edit-a-thons & meetings
• Biodiversity Heritage Library report: LivingData 2025, GLAMWiki and a “collector” Wikidata property proposal
• Memory of the World report: International outreach
• Sustainable CultureConnect Project report: Sustainable CultureConnect: Empowering Youth and Preserving Heritage through Open Knowledge and Leadership
• Calendar: November’s GLAM events

What began as a simple edit on Dagbani Wikipedia has grown into a life-changing experience!

Attending GLAM Wiki 2025 in Portugal marks my first international trip and an incredible opportunity to connect with passionate Wikimedians from around the world. Sharing ideas, learning from diverse cultures, and representing the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group on such a global stage has been both humbling and inspiring.

This journey reminds me that knowledge truly has no borders and every edit, every contribution, and every collaboration helps make the world more open, inclusive, and connected.

Attending GLAM Wiki 2025 in Portugal has been one of the most transformative experiences of my Wikimedia journey.

The GLAM Wiki community is a worldwide network connecting projects, initiatives, and collaborations across every timezone and continent. This year’s conference brought us all together a moment to celebrate achievements, exchange experiences, learn from one another, and collectively shape the future of open knowledge.

Co-organized by Wikimedia Portugal (WMPT) and Wiki Editoras Lx (WELx), the event carried the powerful theme: “Resilience Shaping the Future Through Community and Openness.” that occurred from 30th October to 1st November, 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Resilience reminds us that no matter the challenges social, political, economic, or technological,  our community continues to adapt, recover, and grow stronger. Through collaboration, openness, and innovation, we’re building a movement that not only preserves knowledge but also champions inclusivity and diversity.

Representing the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group on this global stage filled me with pride and purpose. It reaffirmed my belief that our local actions contribute to a global impact, and that together, we can bridge knowledge gaps and strengthen the world’s cultural and digital heritage.

The conference kicked off with a warm and heartfelt welcome address from André Barbosa and Flávia Doria. Their message really set the pace for the days ahead.

One of the sessions i participated was “Building the Future of Cultural Heritage”, led by Carlos Silva, Giovanna Fontenelle, Dália Guerreiro, Ronaldo Mendes, Tiago Lubiana, and Teresa Nobre.

At a time when cultural heritage is facing so many challenges, from funding shifts to rapid technological changes, this panel felt both timely and inspiring. The speakers shared how cultural institutions and communities are learning to adapt, innovate, and stay connected in an evolving world.They spoke about the need for resilience not just as resistance, but as the ability to imagine new ways of preserving and sharing our heritage. I was especially moved by the discussions on how technology and open access can help make culture more inclusive, sustainable, and community-driven. It reminded me why I’m passionate about open knowledge and why collaboration across borders truly matters. 

Another session that truly caught my attention was “Data is Everything: Why Knowledge Institutions are the Future of AI” presented by Greg Leppert.

He shared thought-provoking insights on how artificial intelligence depends deeply on the quality, openness, and diversity of data and how institutions like libraries, archives, and Wikimedia projects play a crucial role in shaping that future.

The Technology Lightning Talks brought together brilliant minds like Hisyam Athaya, Marco Chemello, Marta Arosio, Angela Cervellera, and Ursula Oberst. From Wikimedia Indonesia’s efforts to preserve cultural data through Wikidata, to the Museo Egizio di Torino’s groundbreaking move to open its vast Egyptology collection under free licenses, every story showed how technology and openness can keep culture alive, relevant, and shared with the world.

Another highlight for me was the Digital Resilience panel, featuring Gorana Gomirac, Nat Baca, Irvin St. Tomas, Doug McCarthy, Beatrice Murch, and Jael Serwaa Boateng. The discussion focused on how open knowledge communities like Wikimedia are adapting to a fast-changing digital world while staying true to their values of openness and inclusivity.

The panelists explored important themes from the challenges of keeping up with new technologies and infrastructure needs, to bridging regional gaps in digital access and skills. I was particularly moved by the reflections on our growing dependence on commercial platforms and the urgent need to build community-led, sustainable alternatives.

Another special moment for me at GLAM Wiki 2025 was being part of the WikidataCon 2025 Viewing Room. This year marks Wikidata’s 13th anniversary, and it was inspiring to see how far the community has come in advancing structured, open knowledge across the world.

I had the privilege of volunteering during this session, helping with registration and broadcasting the event live so that other participants could join and experience it too. It was both fulfilling and exciting to contribute in a hands-on way, supporting the flow of knowledge and connection among Wikimedians everywhere.

One of the most insightful moments of GLAM Wiki 2025 was the session titled “Meet the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees,” featuring Natalia Szafran, Lorenzo Losa, Maryana Iskander, Mike Peel, and Shani Evenstein Sigalov.

The panel offered a closer look at how the Board of Trustees works, not just in guiding the Wikimedia Foundation, but in staying connected to the communities that form the heart of our movement. It was enlightening to hear how their decisions are shaped by the voices and experiences of Wikimedians around the world.

The final session I attended and one that truly stood out for me was “The Tapestry Project” by Bob Stein. It was the perfect closing experience to an already inspiring conference.

Bob introduced Tapestries, a free and open-source tool that allows anyone to create non-linear, multimodal presentations using web pages, PDFs, graphics, audio, video files, and even code running in emulators. What fascinated me most was how this tool can bring together vast collections of digital objects from Wikimedia Commons, the Internet Archive, and Europeana, weaving them into interactive, story-like experiences.

Watching Bob demonstrate how knowledge can be creatively “taped together” across platforms was eye-opening. It showed me the boundless possibilities of openness and innovation how, with the right tools, we can connect information in powerful new ways and make learning more dynamic and accessible for everyone. 

The conference wrapped up beautifully with the Closing Session led by Connor Benedict, who took a moment to thank everyone, organizers, speakers, volunteers, and participants for making GLAM Wiki 2025 such a meaningful and inspiring gathering. His words were filled with gratitude and hope, reminding us that our collective effort is what keeps the Wikimedia and GLAM communities strong.

One of the most heartwarming moments was when the Dagbani Wikimedians named Carlos Silva from Wikimedia Portugal “Wumpini” a Dagbani name meaning “God’s Gift.” He joyfully embraced it and even said he would create a Wikidata lexeme for the name! Moments like this remind me how culture, language, and community come together beautifully in the Wikimedia movement.

As the conference came to an end, I felt truly grateful for the journey. I want to sincerely thank the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group’s Executive Director Sadik Shahadu and Wikimedia Portugal for this great exposure and unforgettable experience. 

Being part of GLAM Wiki 2025 has broadened my perspective, strengthened my commitment to open knowledge, and deepened my connections within the global Wikimedia movement. I look forward to many more opportunities like this in the future to learn, share, and continue growing together with the community.

And as I learned in Portuguese “Obrigado!” thank you!

The journey from learning to leadership is never linear, it is one shaped by courage, collaboration, and a commitment to make a difference. The Africa Wiki Women Mentorship and Fellowship Program embodies this spirit, and as it celebrates the graduation of its second cohort.

The African Wiki Women Mentorship and Fellowship Programme was born out of a vision to close the gender gap on Wikipedia and its sister projects and over the years, it has become a safe, empowering, and inclusive space for African women to learn, lead, and tell their stories. Through mentorship, capacity-building, and community engagement, the program equips women with the tools and confidence to amplify African narratives on a global scale.

Over the past 6 months, the 2025 fellows have undergone a transformative journey, learning about Wikipedia editing, leadership development and public speaking. They have participated in diverse activities such as Skill-Up workshops, podcast storytelling, and themed edit-a-thons. Each fellow has emerged not only with new skills but also with renewed sense of purpose and to confidently use open knowledge as a catalyst for equality and representation.

During the graduation, the fellows were given the chance to narrate their experiences and they recounted worthwhile experiences that have changed their digital and personal life completely. 

…before, I was unable to use google sheets, docs or powerpoint but today I am not only using it in the open knowledge space but I am also using it for my personal life: at work, to arrange my scholarship applications for more opportunities… Sharron Atyang, 2025 Cohort. 

The event also spotlighted the dedicated mentors, Bukola James, Ruby Damenshie Brown, and Pellagia Njau who have guided the activities of the Heads of Departments and fellows throughout the programme. In Ruby’s remark she congratulated the fellows and expressed appreciation to the Heads of Departments for their outstanding contributions. She encouraged the graduates to sustain the passion and dedication they have demonstrated over the past six months, both within and beyond the Wikimedia movement: a commitment that earned them the Africa Wiki Women Leadership and Fellowship Meritorious Certificate.

Lastly, the guest speaker of the event, Jael Serwaa Boateng, the executive director of Open Foundation West Africa appreciated the intense patience and the commitment of the fellows to have succeeded the 6 months fellowship. She also appreciated the efforts of the co-founders; Bukola James, Ruby Damenshie Brown and Pellagia Njau, whose influence have mentored hundreds of women in Africa and motivated the fellows to keep on winning!

Mark your calendars! – 2026 will bring us the 4th regional conference for Wikimedia communities across the ESEAP (East, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific) region, to be held in Kaohsiung（高雄）, Taiwan, from May 15 to 17, 2026. This three-day conference, under the theme “New Era of ESEAP: Pioneer the Future Together!”, will not only celebrate 25 years of Wikipedia and its sister projects, but also look ahead to how the ESEAP community can shape the next 25 years and beyond.

New Era of ESEAP: Pioneer the Future Together!

ESEAP Conference 2026 marks the first major in-person gathering since the ESEAP Hub began formal operations, making it a milestone for regional collaboration and inclusion. With around 150 in-person participants and others joining online through a hybrid format, the conference will strengthen movement connections and contribute to the global growth of free knowledge. In addition to the main program, this year’s program features Focus Tracks on Women and Gender, Youth, and Hub Governance, reflecting ongoing conversations about leadership and sustainable collaboration within the region. For the first time, the main sessions will also be livestreamed with real-time interpretation in English, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Indonesian, ensuring Wikimedians across ESEAP can participate and engage wherever they are.

How To Join the Conference?

We warmly invite Wikimedians from across the ESEAP region to take part in the upcoming conference — whether by applying for a scholarship to attend in person, and/or by submitting a program proposal to share your community’s work, projects, and insights.

• 🗓️ 9–30 November 2025 (AoE): Scholarship Applications
  The scholarship covers full in-person participation at the conference, with around 80 recipients to be supported. Applications may be submitted in English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog, Thai, or Vietnamese. Full details and the application timeline are available at ESEAP Conference 2026/Scholarships.
  
• 🗓️ 20 November–20 December 2025 (AoE): Program Submissions
  Program tracks include areas such as Community Story, Capacity Building, Diversity & Inclusion, Technology……and more. Each proposal will be reviewed within its relevant track to help create a balanced and engaging program. Submissions may be made in English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, or Indonesian. For detailed descriptions of program tracks, session formats, and submission guidelines, please visit ESEAP Conference 2026/Program.
  
• For self-funded participants, the registration fee is USD 20 per person for the three-day conference. General registration is expected to open around three months before the event and will close once the on-site capacity is reached.

See You in Kaohsiung!

Our host city, Kaohsiung, in southern Taiwan, is a growing international hub where local culture meets the diverse communities of Southeast Asia — a reflection of the ESEAP spirit itself. Just as our movement celebrates collaboration across languages and borders, Kaohsiung embraces cultural diversity and connection in everyday life. Beyond the conference halls, participants can explore the city’s friendly harbor, enjoy its famous night market food, and experience the warm hospitality that defines Taiwan. We can’t wait to welcome you there in May 2026!

To keep updated on the latest news and announcements, please follow:

• 🌐 Meta-Wiki: ESEAP Conference 2026
• 📸 Instagram: @eseap_conference_2026
• 📘 Facebook: @ESEAPConf2026
• ✉️ Email: conference@eseap.org

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People give to Wikipedia for many different reasons. The Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that operates Wikipedia, ensures that every donation we receive is invested back into serving Wikipedia, Wikimedia projects, and our free knowledge mission.

While many visit Wikipedia on a daily basis, it’s not always obvious what it takes to make that visit possible. Here are 7 reasons to donate to the Foundation that also clarify who we are, what we do, and why your donations matter:

1. We’re a nonprofit, and readers and donors around the world keep us independent.

Many people are surprised to learn that Wikipedia is hosted by a nonprofit organization. It is actually the only website in the top-ten most-visited global websites to be run by a nonprofit. That’s important because we are not funded by advertising, we don’t charge a subscription fee, and we don’t sell your data. The majority of our funding comes from donations ($11 is the average) from people who read Wikipedia. Many see fundraising messages on Wikipedia and give through those. This model preserves our independence by reducing the ability of any one organization or person to influence the content on Wikipedia.

We’ve long-followed industry best practices for nonprofits and have consistently received the highest ratings by nonprofit groups like Charity Navigator for financial efficiency and transparency. We also publish annual reports about our finances and fundraising that are open for anyone to review.

2. Wikipedia serves millions of readers and runs at a fraction of the cost of other top websites.

Wikipedia is viewed nearly 15 billion times every month. We have the same (if not higher) levels of global traffic as many other for-profit internet companies at a fraction of the budget and staffing. 

About 650 people work at the Wikimedia Foundation. The majority work in product and technology ensuring quick load times, secure connections, and better reading and editing experiences on our sites. They maintain the software and infrastructure on which we operate some of the world’s most multilingual sites with knowledge available in over 300 languages. While our mission and work are unique, by comparison, Google’s translation tool currently supports at least 243 languages; Meta has nearly 77,000 employees; and Reddit has over 2,000 employees.

3. Reader donations support the technology that makes Wikipedia possible and improvements to how people read, edit, and share knowledge on Wikipedia.

Around half of our budget goes directly towards maintaining Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. This supports the technical infrastructure that allows billions of visits to Wikipedia monthly, including operating several data centers around the world. It also supports the staff who play a vital role in contributing to the maintenance of our systems, including site reliability engineering, software engineering, security, and other roles.

Because Wikipedia is available in over 300 languages, it needs top-notch multilingual technology to ensure readers and editors can view and contribute knowledge in their preferred language. Funding also helps with improvements to the user experience on Wikipedia and supporting the growth of global volunteer editor communities to increase knowledge on the site, so that it remains relevant, accurate, and useful.

4. We’re evolving to meet new needs in a changing technology landscape and respond to new global threats.

If you regularly visited Wikipedia in our first decade, there was a good chance you’d get an error message at some point. Because of our steady investments in technology, that’s no longer the case—Wikipedia now handles record-breaking spikes in traffic with ease, preventing any disruption to the reading or editing experience. 

We’re also adapting to meet new challenges, including sophisticated disinformation tactics and threats of government censorship, as well as cybersecurity attacks and changes to how the internet is governed. New security protocols limit the potential for attackers to take advantage of our sites, while our legal staff help to protect our free knowledge mission.

AI training models, voice-activated devices, and websites increasingly leverage Wikipedia to serve their users’ knowledge needs. Sixty five percent of our most expensive traffic now comes from these sorts of high-volume reusers. This shift has heightened our focus on enabling responsible content reuse because while Wikipedia content is free, our infrastructure is not.

When it comes to meeting the needs of Wikipedia readers, we continue to evolve to meet these preferences, including developing new experiments to learn more about how to reach new generations of readers and contributors in a changing internet. Our most recent experiment, for example, found that when people try to add subjective language to a Wikipedia article, prompting them to “neutralize” their tone significantly increases the chances of their making a successful edit on Wikipedia.

5. We manage our finances responsibly and balance Wikipedia’s immediate needs with long-term sustainability.

You probably don’t use your checking account in the same way you use a savings account. One is probably for more day-to-day expenses and the other is likely for emergencies, like if your car suddenly breaks down, or for long-term financial goals, like retirement.

It’s similar for nonprofits. We have two accounts that act like savings accounts for us. Our reserve is like a rainy day fund for emergencies, such as an economic crisis.

Our endowment is a long-term permanent fund. The investment income from the endowment supports the future of Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects. These funds are set aside for particular long-term purposes. However, we use the vast majority of the donations we receive from Wikipedia readers to support the current work we are doing that year.

Sustaining healthy financial reserves and having a working capital policy is considered a best practice for organizations of all types. The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Directors defined our working capital policy to sustain our work and provide support to volunteers and Wikimedia affiliates—a global network of groups that support Wikipedia, Wikimedia projects, and the mission globally. It is also designed to cover unplanned expenses, emergencies, or revenue shortfalls. The policy enables us to have sufficient cashflow to cover our expenses throughout the year.

6. Supporting Wikipedia means you’re helping it become more representative of all the world’s knowledge.

The Wikimedia Foundation supports individuals and organizations around the world with funding to increase the diversity, reach, quality, and quantity of free knowledge on Wikipedia. From 2020–2024, we gave over $55 million to members of the volunteer Wikimedia community in over 90 countries. 

While we recognize there are still big gaps to fill, the knowledge on Wikipedia has become more globally representative of the world, as have the editors that contribute to the site. For example, the community of volunteer editors in Sub-Saharan Africa grew by 44% in 2020–2024. This is because of steady programmatic efforts led by Wikimedia volunteers, affiliates, and others—many of whom have received funding, training, and other support from the Foundation.

Why does global representation of Wikipedia volunteer editors matter? It matters because Wikipedia is a reflection of the people who contribute to it. Diverse perspectives create higher quality, more representative, and relevant knowledge for all of us.

7. Contributions from readers keep us going.

The humans who give back to Wikipedia—whether through donations, words of support, edits, or through the many other ways people contribute—inspire us every day. All of us here at the Wikimedia Foundation want to take this opportunity to thank them. We’d like to share some of our favorite messages from donors over the years. We hope they move you as much as they have moved us:

“Wikipedia has been an invaluable resource in my life—offering knowledge, clarity, and understanding on countless subjects. I truly believe in the importance of free and accessible knowledge for everyone. What you provide is more than just information—it’s empowerment, connection, and learning without barriers. Thank you for your dedication and for continuing to make the world a more informed and educated place.”

Donor from UK

“I feel immensely happy to be able to help, even with a little, but with all my heart, an entity that spreads knowledge all over the planet. And knowledge for me is something that no one can take away from you. Wikipedia is exceptional, being a very useful tool in today’s world, where every search is a learning experience. An indispensable tool in the lives of students, teachers, and lovers of good reading, like me, as well as laymen and curious people. Nowadays, if you have any doubts, there is no one to turn to other than Wikipedia. I say that it is rare these days to have access to information, research, and reliable sources without having to pay for information.”

Donor from Brazil

We hope that we helped to deepen your understanding about how important reader donations are to Wikipedia. If you have any questions, please check out our FAQ.

If you are in a position to give, you can make a donation to Wikipedia at donate.wikimedia.org.

Lisa Seitz-Gruwell is the Chief Advancement Officer and Deputy to the CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published on 3 November 2022. Several data points, figures, and links were updated in October 2023, November 2024, and November 2025.

The post 7 reasons you should donate to Wikipedia appeared first on Wikimedia Foundation.

Most people don’t know that Wikipedia is hosted by a nonprofit. Accurate information online is needed now more than ever, as is the work of the Wikimedia Foundation.

How many times did you look up something on your phone today? Did you ask ChatGPT a question? How about Alexa or Siri or a social media site? 

Receiving immediate responses is a huge benefit of how this technology has improved our lives. But it has also made it harder to sort through a flood of information to make sure we are getting the most accurate and reliable answers. The overwhelming speed of change in today’s online information ecosystem makes it more urgent to have a place for trustworthy and verified facts. 

Wikipedia was created almost 25 years ago with that goal in mind. Edited by nearly 250,000 volunteers globally, it now receives nearly 15 billion visits each month. Wikipedia sees the same (if not higher) levels of global traffic as well-known, for-profit internet companies at a fraction of the budget and staffing. It’s the only top ten most visited website hosted by a nonprofit organization, the Wikimedia Foundation. 

Since becoming CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation in 2022, I’ve asked hundreds of people all over the world how they think Wikipedia works. This usually leads to a conversation where someone says: 

“I sometimes see that message asking for donations, but I hadn’t thought about the fact that there are no ads until now.” 

“I had no idea Wikipedia was supported by a nonprofit.”

“I use Wikipedia every day. I can’t imagine a world in which it doesn’t exist.”

They usually leave the conversation understanding why the Wikimedia Foundation’s work is vitally important for ‘the encyclopedia that anyone can edit’ to remain freely available to people everywhere.

The Wikimedia Foundation does four critical things to make sure Wikipedia can get closer to its vision of representing the sum of all knowledge. (1) We provide a highly sophisticated technology backbone that keeps Wikipedia secure, fast, and accessible all over the world; (2) we innovate in the latest technologies to deliver accurate, up-to-date Wikipedia content to you, even when you are using other sites online; (3) we help protect knowledge integrity and fight censorship, and other threats; and most importantly, (4) we support volunteers in all regions of the world to build thriving communities of editors and contributors. These people brought Wikipedia to the world more than 20 years ago with a radical belief that humans remain at the core of realizing technology’s promise.

What does all of this take?

1. A sophisticated technology backbone to keep Wikipedia secure, fast, and accessible

It may surprise you to learn that Wikipedia is recognized as one of the fastest sites in the United States. Fast and reliable access to Wikipedia’s website should not have to depend on where you live. The Wikimedia Foundation continues to grow this technology backbone to deliver a similar experience to users across the Middle East, Africa, South America, Asia, and Europe. 

This essential infrastructure has expanded over the years to handle extreme spikes in global traffic. These spikes can happen when there is a significant newsworthy event, such as when a famous person dies. In these moments, we see countless other sites begin to simultaneously pull up-to-the-second information from Wikipedia because it is the source they trust. This in turn creates increased pressure on our technology backbone to keep the site up and running when people need it most. Our engineers pride themselves on making sure Wikipedia doesn’t go down.

We manage to do this with two data centers and five caching centers, all supported by over two thousand servers (we run our own servers for lots of reasons, but especially to protect user privacy). This supports the website and also other digital properties like mobile apps.

But the real investment is in supporting our hundreds of engineers. They write complex code in the open, make hard trade-offs to balance spikes in incoming traffic, and add new databases when needed. They handle the often invisible but critical maintenance of software from reducing memory consumption to fixing bugs to removing code that threatens the security and safety of our systems. For example, over the last year we worked to eliminate our old mobile URL, which immediately improved page loading times by up to 19%.

The Wikimedia Foundation must continue to invest in the security, speed, and reliability of Wikipedia. This lean and highly sophisticated backbone is operated by mission-driven technologists who are utterly dedicated to making sure Wikipedia is always up and running for the billions of visitors that have come to depend on it as always being a click away.

2. Making Wikipedia content available anywhere on the internet

Most people I meet don’t know that the content they use all over the internet comes from Wikipedia, even if they never visit our website. Where does Google get the link to answer your query? Have you ever asked Siri or Alexa where they found the answer? Do you know that ChatGPT and similar tools are all trained on Wikipedia’s data? 

This phenomenon was captured well in a New York Times Magazine story that described Wikipedia as “a kind of factual netting that holds the whole digital world together.” Search engines depend heavily on Wikipedia’s up-to-date articles; video sites point users to Wikipedia to learn more information; and AI chatbots regularly pull from Wikipedia in generating their responses. How does Wikipedia keep up, while staying true to our purpose and values? 

It’s not easy, and this drives a lot of the growing investments we are making now at the Wikimedia Foundation. We are doubling down on protecting user data and privacy, bucking many industry trends. We are doubling down on keeping our content available at no cost to everyone, everywhere, under what is known as a free license. And most importantly, we are doubling down on a belief that high-quality, human-generated content is going to be irreplaceable for generative AI tools like ChatGPT. 

We’ve been reflecting a lot on this last topic. As the longtime Wikipedia-focused journalist Stephen Harrison put it: “the implementation of A.I. technology will undoubtedly alter how Wikipedia is used and transform the user experience. At the same time, the features and bugs of large language models, or LLMs, like ChatGPT intersect with human interests in ways that support Wikipedia rather than threaten it.”  At the Wikimedia Foundation, this has meant continuously investing in AI and machine learning, while always making sure that humans remain a central part of the equation. We are also experimenting with new ways of engaging with Wikipedia. We are exploring new ways to enjoy Wikipedia’s content, including via short video, chat, and gaming platforms. Our most recent experiment focused on the editorial side: we found that when people try to add subjective language to a Wikipedia article, prompting them to “neutralize” their tone significantly increases the chances of their making a successful edit on Wikipedia.

Another area for increased investment is in tools that the Foundation created to help volunteer editors translate articles across languages. As the most multilingual digital enterprise in the world, Wikipedia and its sister projects support content creation in more than 300 languages. Meeting Wikimedia’s global mission requires ongoing creativity and innovation in translation across languages and cultural contexts. This started years ago with a content translation tool that is regularly maintained and improved; it has been used to translate more than 2 million of the nearly 64 million Wikipedia articles so far.

Alongside all of this, we have year-in-year-out costs that are required to keep Wikipedia’s ‘factual netting’ healthy and strong. Recently, this has meant making user-guided improvements to the usability of our website for readers. And prioritizing the needs of volunteer editors and technical contributors globally — ranging from customized software, personalized tools, specific bug fixes, and sometimes individualized patches across 300+ languages and in all regions of the world!

This is why we readily spend most of our $207.5 million budget on growing teams of world-class engineers, designers, product managers, researchers, and analysts who are up to this monumental task: building a world in which every human being can share in the sum of all knowledge.

3. Protecting knowledge integrity and fighting censorship

Most of us have seen or experienced first-hand the negative consequences of misinformation, polarization, and censorship online. These harmful realities, along with threats to our personal data and privacy, often leave us to fend for ourselves. For me, that’s why Wikipedia’s goal to provide evidence-based, unbiased, and free information for everyone has never been more urgent. 

Wikipedia’s volunteers are the world’s first line of defense. In 2023, I told government leaders that the day-to-day process of building and improving Wikipedia requires these contributors to collaborate, debate, and discuss their edits in order to write thoughtful, informative articles. They hold themselves to high standards of reliability, verifiability, and neutrality by providing citations and sources. On the “Talk” page of every Wikipedia article, they weigh multiple perspectives in the open so that they can make good faith decisions about content together. And they set and enforce rules for what does and doesn’t belong on the Wikimedia projects, guided by a Universal Code of Conduct and supported by the Wikimedia Foundation’s commitment to human rights standards.

This requires expanding our legal, policy, and advocacy strategies to push back against a trend of increasing authoritarianism and government censorship (including blocks of Wikipedia itself, which we helped overturn in Turkey); promoting responsible regulations to support open access to knowledge in legislation (like the Digital Services Act); and when necessary, defending volunteers in countries where contributing to Wikipedia remains an act of bravery. 

In today’s world, we see that it is getting harder to ensure that technology serves people, not the other way around. 

I believe that this work of the Wikimedia Foundation — promoting the values of open and equitable access to knowledge to people and societies everywhere — must be supported now more than ever before.

4. Supporting volunteers to build thriving communities of contributors

The Wikimedia Foundation is part of an extensive ecosystem of communities that also includes local chapters representing countries, user groups of volunteers with common interests, allied partners who advocate for open knowledge, and individuals editing Wikipedia who often have no idea that any of this even exists behind the online platform.

One of the most important tasks of the Wikimedia Foundation is to share the financial support we receive with these individuals, groups, and organizations around the world to collectively build thriving communities of contributors. This requires operating a very complex administrative and financial infrastructure—one that is annually given the highest possible ratings from independent watchdogs like Charity Navigator.

With the guidance of volunteer committees, we balance funding priorities between deeper innovations in more established regions with high-scale growth efforts in newer communities like Asia, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, closing what we call ‘knowledge gaps’ is a strategic goal of our movement; just one example of this is the collective efforts of countless individuals and organizations to increase the representation of women’s biographies on Wikipedia.

The goal of this work is to invite anyone who shares our vision and values to join us. This extends from welcoming newcomers to supporting more established editors; it can take the form of a small donation to an individual to a large, multi-year grant enabling a chapter to grow its local activities; and it can support partnerships with hundreds of educational and cultural institutions around the world. 

It means meeting people where they are, and not expecting them to find us. I think about grants that have supported co-creating open knowledge projects with the Atikamekw First Nation in Canada; addressing gender gaps with US-based Art+Feminism; edit-a-thons in Japan; the development of Kyrgyz Wikipedia in Central Europe; building the base of Wikimedia contributors in Nigeria; and helping teachers use Wikipedia in the classroom in Morocco.

The people who do all this can’t be seen on your computer screen, but they power the human world of Wikipedia, one that makes everything else I’ve talked about here possible.

I hope this explanation helps you to better understand what the Wikimedia Foundation does, especially when we ask you to donate. 

By design, we don’t only ask a privileged few to write us big checks. That’s because Wikipedia belongs to everyone, and why people are asked to contribute what they can if they’ve found it useful. This funding, given by only 2% of readers, helps keep the site ad-free and independent. 

As you’ve read, the Wikimedia Foundation has grown to meet technical, geographic, and social changes that are only accelerating their pace of change. Alongside today’s investments, we are also planning for the future—by doing things like growing an endowment to accelerate technical innovation and making big bets to reimagine the role of language on the internet. If you agree that this work is important, please consider supporting the Wikimedia Foundation. 

Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, representing the best of human knowledge. It is not a social media platform or an opinion page. Nothing quite like it exists anywhere. And it belongs to all of us.

Maryana Iskander is Chief Executive Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation.

If you’d like to support our work, you can make a donation at donate.wikimedia.org.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published on 30 October 2023. It was updated with more recent information in November 2024 and November 2025.

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A unique consortium to build an open, sovereign, and collaborative European digital ecosystem

From the French Presidency of the EU to the European ambition for digital commons

This seminal text makes a clear observation: free software, open protocols, collaborative platforms, shared data sets… these resources, which are essential to the proper functioning of digital technology, are often maintained by volunteer communities, but remain fragile due to a lack of institutional recognition and adequate funding. The report therefore recommends placing the commons at the heart of public policy, creating a European support desk, and above all, structuring a common governance system at the EU level.

From political impetus to the creation of EDIC Digital Commons

This political impetus led, after several years of consultation, to the decision to create a dedicated European consortium: the EDIC Digital Commons (European Digital Infrastructure Consortium). This project, officially launched in the fall of 2025, aims to build a European digital space based on commons, interoperability, and cooperation between states and communities.

What will the EDIC do ?

The EDIC Digital Commons will act as a European legal framework enabling Member States to co-invest in shared, open, and interoperable digital infrastructures.

It will cover strategic areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and geomatics, with a view to reducing the European Union's dependence on non-European suppliers.

Thanks to this model, states will be able to work together to design, deploy, and manage digital resources with confidence—a way to strengthen Europe's technological sovereignty while supporting open-source alternatives and cooperation between the public, non-profit, and private sectors.

A state/community partnership at the center of the preparation process

The consortium was built in two stages.

In the initial preparatory phase, each interested country was represented by a “state/community” partnership, a novel format that reflected a simple conviction: you cannot build communities without involving those who bring them to life.

Wikimedia France is proud to have participated in this stage, alongside Henri Verdier’s teams, contributing its expertise and its voice as a representative of civil society and contributing communities. Drawing on our experience with wikimedia projects, we contributed to discussions on open governance, transparency, and the sustainability of digital commons. These exchanges laid the foundations for a model that recognizes the social, democratic, and technical value of these resources.

In a second phase, the project gained new momentum under the impetus of the Interministerial Digital Directorate (DINUM), and particularly its director, Stéphanie Schaer. Thanks to her coordination and the relaunch of European discussions, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy were able to finalize the establishment of the consortium and give shape to this collective ambition. The press release published on the DINUM website sums up this spirit well:

”The EDIC Digital Commons reflects a shared ambition: to build together the foundations of a strong, open and sustainable European digital landscape”.

Stéphanie Schaer, Interministerial Director for Digital Affairs (DINUM) in France

A collective project to bring to life

The creation of EDIC Digital Commons marks a major milestone for digital Europe. For Wikimedia France, it represents much more than an institutional success: it is the recognition of a model, that of the commons, as a pillar of European digital sovereignty. This approach emphasizes cooperation, transparency, and shared governance rather than technological dependence or market logic.

But a consortium only lives through those who make it exist. For the EDIC to fulfill its promise, it will be necessary, as in its genesis, to maintain constant dialogue between institutions and communities, to ensure that the field is listened to attentively, and to ensure that European policies remain connected to the realities of those who develop, translate, document, and maintain these commons.

Wikimedia France salutes the work of DINUM, Henri Verdier’s teams, and all the European partners who have contributed to this major advance. This project illustrates what we have always stood for: a European digital landscape based on free knowledge, cooperation, and trust. Digital commons must be cultivated, protected, and shared, and it is together, states and citizens, that we can make them grow.

Further reading

📘 Report: “Digital commons: an essential lever for European sovereignty” by Henri Verdier, Digital Ambassador — submitted in June 2022.
Read the report at diplomatie.gouv.fr

📰 Press release : Launch of the EDIC Digital Commons Published by the Interministerial Digital Directorate (DINUM), October 2025. Read the press release at numerique.gouv.fr

30/10/2025-05/11/2025

Community

• The 30 Day Map Challenge 2025 has officially begun, featuring 30 distinct mapping themes, one for each day of November. Participants are invited to create maps inspired by the daily themes and share their work on social media using the hashtag #30DayMapChallenge.
  • For the first day’s theme ‘Points’ Michaël has contributed a map highlighting the world’s mountains exceeding 8,000 metres in elevation, created using R and the Overpass API.
• After having successfully acquiring the topographic maps of Namibia (we reported earlier), Grant Slater is now raising funds to purchase the historic 1:50,000 topographic map series of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland).

Events

• Unique Mappers Network have live-streamed days two and three of the State of the Map Nigeria 2025 conference.

Education

• TeachOSM has made a video tutorial demonstrating how to map OpenStreetMap features using satellite imagery. The tutorial guides viewers in identifying ground features by interpreting colour, shape, pattern, and texture.

OSM in action

• Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency, through the Indonesian Seagrass Mapping Partnership project, has developed ► Seagrass Connect, a mobile application that enables public participation in seagrass mapping (plants that compose the seagrass beds), by allowing users to take field photos and record seagrass cover conditions directly from their mobile devices. The application uses OpenStreetMap data as its base map.

Software

• ¹ François Lacombe gave an update on recent upgrades to ProjetDuMois (Project of the Month). This software now allows you to monitor OSM contributions for topic focused projects at a world scale, whereas the tool was initially designed for the country scale. François and Adrien Pavie have improved the workflow and interface to provide OpenStreetMap history digging functionalities for projects that started years ago, a significant development that was made possible thanks to Osmium and the MapYourGrid initiative. The update also gives hints about their roadmap and invited anyone interested to help in further development.
• The October 2025 edition of the MapLibre Newsletter has been published.

Releases

• Eugene Kizevich announced that OsmAnd version 5.2 has been released. This release introduced a new ‘Marine’ nautical map style, enhanced search result details, added new features for travellers and drivers, and added a cloud autosync system for user data.

OSM in the media

• Markus Reuter, of Netzpolitik, reported ► that the Chaos Computer Club Hamburg has taken over the Surveillance under Surveillance project, a global map of video surveillance previously maintained by a single individual. The project, which uses OpenStreetMap data, provides accessible information on the locations, types, and viewing directions of surveillance cameras.

Other “geo” things

• Alongside choosing the new mayor for New York city last Tuesday, voters also voted on several ballot proposals, including Ballot Proposal 5: Create a Digital City Map. This measure seeks to establish a centralised, digital version of the city’s official map under the Department of City Planning, consolidating various separately maintained paper maps into a single unified digital system. This proposal was approved by 73% of voters.

Upcoming Events

Country	Where	Venue	What	When
	Catania	Isola Coworking Catania	itWikiCon	2025-11-07 – 2025-11-09
			UN Mappers #ValidationFriday Mappy Hour	2025-11-07
	Karlsruhe	Geofabrik, Amalienstraße 44, 76133 Karlsruhe	Karlsruhe Hack Weekend November 2025	2025-11-08 – 2025-11-09
		Cafe Bella Rosa	Social Mapping Saturday: Long Park	2025-11-08
	Salzburg	TriBühne Lehen	Maker Faire Salzburg	2025-11-08
	Bolzano – Bozen		Mapping NOI Techpark in OpenStreetMap	2025-11-08
		TAK Kadıköy Tasarım Atölyesi	OpenStreet Haftasonu Buluşmaları	2025-11-09
	København	Cafe Bevar’s	OSMmapperCPH	2025-11-09
	Kolkata	Park Street	8th OpenStreetMap West Bengal Mapping Party (Kolkata)	2025-11-09
	Jalpaiguri	Thana More	9th OpenStreetMap West Bengal Mapping Party	2025-11-10
			Missing Maps : Mapathon en ligne – CartONG [fr]	2025-11-10
	臺北市	MozSpace Taipei	OpenStreetMap x Wikidata Taipei #82	2025-11-10
	Zürich	Bitwäscherei Zürich	181. OSM-Stammtisch Zürich	2025-11-11
	Hamburg	Voraussichtlich: “Variable”, Karolinenstraße 23	Hamburger Mappertreffen	2025-11-11
	Heidelberg	Urban Kitchen, Heidelberg	Rhein-Neckar OpenstreetMap Treffen	2025-11-11
			Transmission Grid Mapping Together (Online)	2025-11-12
	München	Echardinger Einkehr	Münchner OSM-Treffen	2025-11-12
	Madrid	Online	Mappy Hour OSM España	2025-11-13
	Berlin	Sophieneck	209. OSM-Stammtisch Berlin-Brandenburg	2025-11-13
		Online	OpenStreetMap Midwest Meetup	2025-11-13
	Bochum	Das Labor, Alleestraße 50, Bochum	OSM-Treffen in Bochum	2025-11-13
	Dundee	Abertay University, Dundee, UK	State of the Map Europe 2025	2025-11-14 – 2025-11-15
		LaNum – Bidart Izarbel	Rencontre Mapadour	2025-11-14
		Kannur University SAT Campus, Payyannur, Kerala	State of the Map Kerala 2025	2025-11-15 – 2025-11-16
	Meerut	Suraj Kund/Gandhi Nagar, Meerut	25th OSM Delhi MapWalk (Meerut)	2025-11-16
	Waitematā	Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand	FOSS4G International Conference 2025 – Auckland	2025-11-17 – 2025-11-21
			Internationale GeoWeek – Online Mapathon von ÄRZTE OHNE GRENZEN (AT/CH/DE)	2025-11-17
	Budapest	NNG Kft.	OSM térképest 2025-11-18	2025-11-18
			Missing Maps London: (Online) Mid-Month Mapathon [eng]	2025-11-18
	Lyon	Tubà	Réunion du groupe local de Lyon	2025-11-18
	Bonn	Dotty’s	194. OSM-Stammtisch Bonn	2025-11-18
	City of Edinburgh	Penny Black (formerly the Black Bull)	OSM Edinburgh pub meetup	2025-11-18
		Online	Lüneburger Mappertreffen	2025-11-18
	Newport News	Christopher Newport University	Christopher Newport University Mapathon	2025-11-19
	Karlsruhe	Chiang Mai	Stammtisch Karlsruhe	2025-11-19
	Madrid	Online	Mappy Hour OSM España	2025-11-20
			UN Mappers Mappy Hour for #OSMGeoweek	2025-11-21
			Missing Maps : Mapathon en ligne – CartONG [fr]	2025-11-24

Note:
If you like to see your event here, please put it into the OSM calendar. Only data which is there, will appear in weeklyOSM.

This weeklyOSM was produced by PierZen, Raquel Dezidério Souto, Andrew Davidson, barefootstache.
We welcome link suggestions for the next issue via this form and look forward to your contributions.

The Wali Wikimedians Community and the WAALEE BAABO Association achieved a historic breakthrough on November 1, 2025, by co-hosting a high-level Stakeholders Engagement Workshop at the Wa Technical Institute. This event formally aligned our collaborative mission to safeguard and promote the Waali language in the digital and educational spheres.

The Authority and Commitment

The program demonstrated unparalleled community support and political commitment, with attendance from key figures ensuring the resolution carried maximum weight:

• The workshop was chaired by the MCE for Wa Municipal Assembly, Hon. Alhaji Nurah Issah Danwana.
• Dignitaries included the representative of the Wa Naa Fuseini Pelpuo, leaders and representatives from all Waala clans, and top officials from education units, schools, and institutions.

The main agenda—the re-introduction of the Waali language into educational institutions—was officially addressed. The Chairman and MCE assured the Waala people that the Assembly has accepted this crucial step, and a resolution would be passed for the teaching of Waali in basic schools within the Wa Metropolitan area.

Key Outcomes and Achievements

1. Linguistic & Historical Context: Linguist Abdul Moomen Abdul Aziz and BUGLI FM CEO Haadi Mogtar presented an exciting overview titled: Waala and Waalɩɩ: Historical and Linguistic Overview.
   • Watch the video here: [Video of the stakeholders engagement]
2. Curriculum Development: Following a productive working session, participants (teachers and Wikimedians) collaborated in groups on essential language elements, including grammatical names and cultural terminology in Waali.
3. Book Launch and Wikimedia Recognition: The workshop culminated in the launch of new Waali pupil books designed for basic schools. The Wali Wikimedians Community was officially recognized for its contribution and efforts in the forward of these books.
   • See Cover pages here:

1. Language Standardization: The stakeholders reached a consensus on the correct, standardized spelling of the language across different contexts, resolving past confusion on the internet:
   • English Language: Waali
   • Waali Language (Orthography): Waalɩɩ
   • See the unique Waali orthography chart by Abdul Aziz Abdul Moomen here: Orthography

This collaborative event marks a pivotal moment for the Waali language, transitioning it from an oral tradition to a formally taught and digitally recognized language, directly supporting the Wikimedia movement’s mission of free knowledge equity.

#WaliWikimedians

#WAALEEBAABO

#WaaliLanguage

#LanguageEquity

During WikiCon Brazil 2025, held on July 19–20 in Salvador, Bahia, the WikiProject Brazil Schools (WikiProjeto Brasil Escolas) contributed to key discussions at the largest Wikimedia community event and free knowledge ecosystem gathering in Brazil, centered on the theme “Strengthening Digital Public Goods.” The resonance between the WikiProject and the event’s theme lies in how open educational data can be transformed into freely accessible digital resources. It converges with global debates on new internet governance policies and the recognition of access to information as a human right.

The event’s theme aligns directly with the United Nations Global Digital Compact, which recognizes digital public goods (such as free software, open data, and open content) as essential pillars of an inclusive digital transformation. In this context, the WikiProject Brazil Schools exemplifies how Wikimedia projects can democratize access to educational information in the Global South. This process is built on providing a concrete materialization of these principles and demonstrating how local initiatives can contribute to global goals for the democratization of knowledge.

Educational Data Inequality

Wikidata currently records approximately 600,000 schools worldwide. However, fewer than 9,000 of them, only about 1.5%, are located in Brazil, a scenario that reflects a broader issue: the digital invisibility of educational institutions from the Global South in open knowledge repositories.

According to Brazil’s School Census, there are around 180,000 active schools in the country, meaning that only 4.8% of Brazilian institutions are represented on Wikidata. This disparity not only mirrors global information asymmetries but also undermines the ability of policymakers, researchers, and communities to access essential data for the development of effective educational policies.

A Response of the Wikimedia Movement

The WikiProject Brazil Schools emerged in 2024 as a strategic initiative to address this challenge. Based on open data from the Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira (Inep), the project employs tools such as QuickStatements and OpenRefine to systematically insert information about Brazilian schools into Wikidata.

The methodology is simple and replicable: Brazilian School Census data, made available in standardized formats, are processed, structured, and converted into Wikidata items. Beyond a technical action, this practice constitutes an act of data decolonization by structuring previously underrepresented information in an open and verifiable manner, making visible, within global knowledge repositories, data that have historically remained on the margins.

Georeferencing as a Tool for Equity

One of the most significant aspects of the WikiProject Brazil Schools is the georeferencing of school data. In April 2025, among the 8,602 Brazilian schools present on Wikidata, only 1,994 (23%) contained precise geographic coordinates. This lack of location data is not merely technical; it reflects representational disparities and territorial invisibility, particularly of schools in rural areas, urban peripheries, and territories of Indigenous and traditional communities.

The project not only seeks to correct these gaps but also builds bridges between different open-data ecosystems. Integration with OpenStreetMap significantly expands the potential use of these datasets, making them accessible even to users without advanced technical knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Impacts Beyond Digital Boundaries

The implications of the WikiProject Brazil Schools extend far beyond data organization. By making educational information more accessible and interoperable, the initiative:

• Strengthens transparency: Facilitates social oversight of public education policies.
• Reduces fragmentation: Centralizes data previously dispersed across isolated government systems.
• Enables comparisons: Supports transnational analyses among educational systems in the Global South.
• Fosters discovery: Enriches projects such as Wiki Loves Monuments by identifying schools that are also historical heritage sites.

A Replicable Model

One of the most significant aspects of the project is its potential as a model for other contexts. The strategies developed, the use of open-source tools, and their sustainability through collaboration among government, academia, and civil society can be adapted to other countries in the Global South facing similar challenges of unequal access to educational data.

Education, traditionally seen as a public service, also reveals itself as a digital public good. When educational data are structured, georeferenced, and made available on open platforms, they become resources that can be reused, recombined, and recontextualized by different communities.

Future Perspectives

The presentation at WikiCon Brazil 2025 represents not only recognition of the project’s importance but also a turning point for its expansion. The discussions in Salvador highlighted how the WikiProject Brazil Schools resonates with global priorities to strengthen digital public goods, positioning it as a reference for similar initiatives in other contexts.

The project does not represent an end, but a strategic beginning. As more data are incorporated into Wikidata, new possibilities emerge from analyses of the territorial distribution of educational institutions to the development of tools that support local educational management in open and non-proprietary ways.

Most importantly, as made evident during WikiCon Brazil 2025, the project demonstrates that the democratization of knowledge is not only about creating data but also about making visible the structures and institutions that shape our societies. Each school added to Wikidata is simultaneously a statistical entry and an affirmation that education deserves to be known, recognized, and accessible as a true digital public good.

Acknowledgments

The WikiProject Brazil Schools extends its gratitude to Wikimedia Brasil, through the Grants and Programming Committees, for the opportunity to participate and collaborate at WikiCon Brazil 2025. Part of the activities developed by the WikiProject Brazil Schools received support from members of the WikiProject Hearing Health, who were funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP, grant no. 2024/04559-0).

Climate change and the environment are topics that unite Wikimedians globally. In Latin America, where knowledge is deeply rooted in nature and territory, affiliates have joined forces to develop campaigns, projects, events, and strategic partnerships that contribute to reducing information gaps on Wikimedia platforms, primarily on Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons.

This work took a new leap when Wikimedia Brazil and the Working Group on Climate Justice and Wikimedia Projects (an effort maintained by affiliates from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Uruguay) collaborated on a proposal to present to the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change Fund. This initiative, established in 2024 by the Government of Brazil, the UN Secretariat, and UNESCO, aims to promote information integrity on climate change topics.

Out of 447 submissions from nearly 100 countries, the project “Advancing Information Integrity on Extreme Weather and Climate-related events in Wikipedia and Wikidata” was one of the top ten proposals selected. 

This is a powerful regional collaboration, with a global design and impact, leveraging the worldwide reach of Wikipedia and Wikidata. Additionally, a volunteer advisory group, comprising Wikimedia members from Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia, will provide advice and potentially replicate activities.

The selection of this project developed by Wikimedians from South America is a major triumph, affirming the Movement’s ability to address critical global topics, such as information integrity on climate change. The project includes research, data modeling, and a public outreach workshop in each of the seven participating countries to improve Wikimedia content based on the findings. These workshops will also serve as a launchpad for the (soon-to-be-renamed) Wiki for Human Rights 2026 campaign, focused on climate change and environmental topics.

As part of the public activities that will be held at COP 30 in Brazil on the topic of information integrity on climate change, UNESCO has invited a project representative to be present at the event in November 2025. This is an opportunity to effectively draw public attention to climate information integrity and highlight the crucial role of digital public goods like Wikipedia.

The Wikimedia projects play a fundamental role in safeguarding information integrity due to their core policies: the Neutral Point of View (NPOV), verifiability, and no original research. Furthermore, the vast, multilingual scope of the projects means that the content hosted on them is often replicated by other services and used to train various Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI systems. This gives the Wikimedia Movement immense leverage in shaping the foundational knowledge accessible to Internet users worldwide.

Trust in scientific knowledge and access to reliable information are the foundations of effective climate action. Fostering information integrity requires multi-sector cooperation, and the Wikimedia movement has an active and relevant role to play in the information integrity ecosystem.

More details about the project and progress in its implementation can be found on its Meta page.

Dr. La’Tonya Rease Miles teaches graduate students in the Santa Clara University Department of Education Leadership. She first incorporated a Wikipedia assignment in spring 2023.

I am a proud first-generation college graduate, and my research focuses on narratives and media representations of the first-generation college experience.  But I didn’t fully connect with my first-gen identity until after I completed my doctorate and was working full-time as an academic administrator.  Ironically, decades ago, a graduate student that I was supervising cheekily said to me, “You know you are first-gen, right?,” and the world stopped.  From that moment, I had language to describe what I had experienced as a working-class, transfer student who made her way to a doctoral program in English literature 3,000 miles away from her family and relatives.

Here’s the thing: for the most part, I could navigate my three different undergraduate institutions fairly well with some intervention from supportive faculty.  But it felt like that Ph.D. program at UCLA socked me in the face.  Hard.  I remember sitting in seminar and being embarrassed not to know particular literary theorists (Derrida comes to mind), and I would scribble names down in my notebook, spelling them phonetically, only to look them up on Wikipedia later so that I had a better understanding of what was going on in class.  For the first two years in graduate school, I was too embarrassed to admit when I did not know something or someone.  Ultimately, I did make important connections, but we students had to hustle hard to make the camaraderie and sense of belonging happen.  The support was not necessarily built into the curriculum.

As a faculty member, I try my best to think about that smart but also unconfident graduate student who I was and to tailor assignments for her.  Typically, graduate students, particularly in the humanities, value solo authorship, independence, and coming up with original projects in order to validate their intelligence and place in the academy.  Group projects tend to elicit horror at worst and disdain at best.  Creating a Wikipedia article from scratch turns those ideas on their heads for graduate students, and they may elicit an even greater boost for those who are first-generation college graduates.  

First-gen editor

Initially, I  reached out to the Wiki Education team because of a research project.  I was curating information about notable first-generation professionals (like Michelle Obama), so my thought was, wouldn’t it be great if someone put this information that I was gathering on Wikipedia to make it more accessible?  I wasn’t prepared to be asked to do it myself.   

My first response was, “You’ve got to be kidding.”  Me?  I don’t know how to edit Wikipedia.  Isn’t that for . . . Wikipedians?  Andrés, my Wiki Education “handler,” as I jokingly but affectionately like to think of him, encouraged me to empower others to become writers and editors by teaching them how to do so in the class.  Currently, I teach in the Santa Clara University Department of Education Leadership, a graduate program.  Many of the students are first-generation college graduates, students of color, or international, and many come from rural, working-class backgrounds.  These students tend to be K-12 educators and leaders, nonprofit leaders, higher education staff at local colleges and universities.  With Andrés’ encouragement, I thought, what better way to impact the field than to train others how to use Wikipedia responsibly and for a greater good?  

Within a few months of speaking with Andrés, I incorporated the Wikipedia assignment into one of my graduate seminars on educational innovation.   Students were charged with creating a Wikipedia article from scratch.  During year one, they were assigned BIPOC individuals in STEM fields; and in year two, they created articles for global women-led social enterprises.  

Lessons learned

I have incorporated this assignment twice now, two years apart.  Here are some of the lessons learned that benefit all students, but particularly those who are first-generation college graduates, or those who may struggle with imposter syndrome.   These may include international students or those for whom English is not their first language. 

Have students work in groups

In year one, I had students work independently to create an original Wikipedia article.  I assumed (probably based on my own experiences, ha!) that graduate students hate working in groups, but at the conclusion of the seminar, several students told me that they actually preferred to pair up — that they relied on their complementary strengths and skillsets.  For instance, some felt more comfortable doing the background research on a topic, while another person preferred to write.  

The next time I taught the class, I intentionally had students pair up.  This had the positive effect of de-emphasizing classroom competition and solo authorship, while also  encouraging collaboration.

Celebrate wins in class

Engaging with Wikipedia–whether editing an existing piece or creating an article from scratch — can feel overwhelming and many new Wikipedians are nervous about where to begin.  To help mitigate these anxieties, during weekly check ins, I would ask for a volunteer to share a win — any small step that they took.  For instance, it could be that they completed their first edit.  Or perhaps they found an image that they planned to use on the page.  We cheered for every step, which helped normalize success.  

Class preview and feedback

Before the final assignment was due at the end of the term, I had the teams share their draft articles (still in the sandbox) with the rest of the class.  Each pair walked us through the work in progress and asked for feedback.  This presentation was not graded.  It was great to see students who, initially, were nervous about the assignment suddenly demonstrate their confidence in only a few short weeks.  Sharing their work informally in front of their peers also helped sharpen students’ presentation skills.  Lastly, this was a great opportunity to model the Wikipedia community — the goal of drafting an article is not perfection; feedback should be welcome.  Once again, the in-class workshop structure was useful in fostering a community of praxis and building trust. 

Have students share their work publicly

In year one, I encouraged students to share their completed articles with others in their support system.  Some proudly shared their work with family and friends; some even showed off their skills to their own students.  Many agreed that this assignment was the most important writing to date in their graduate program because it helped their circle of friends and family better understand their graduate work. Their theses and dissertations may seem obscure to their loved ones.  Wikipedia articles are accessible.  

Beyond the classroom

It’s been almost three years since I took the leap with this Wikipedia assignment, and I have continued to use Wikipedia as a tool to advance the representation of first-generation college graduates.  In order to honor National First Gen Celebration Day each November, I reach out to former students who completed the Wikipedia assignment and I invite them to participate in an edit-a-thon where we edit the pages of notable first-generation professionals.  To date, all of the volunteers have been women of color, and most of them identify as first-generation to college.  This annual event is a great way to sharpen our Wikipedia skills and to maintain connections beyond the classroom.  

But what sticks with me the most, after each course comes to a close? Not just the real-world impact my students made through Wikipedia — but the impact that editing has made on them.  My students have told me, often with tears in their eyes or with shaky voices, that learning how to contribute to Wikipedia affirms that the things they value are also important to share with the rest of the world.  And perhaps most importantly, that they’re more than capable of filling the gaps themselves.

Interested in incorporating a Wikipedia assignment into your course? Visit teach.wikiedu.org to learn more about the free resources, digital tools, and staff support that Wiki Education offers to postsecondary instructors in the United States and Canada. Apply by December 1 for priority consideration for spring 2026 courses.

Nov 6, 11:10 UTC
Resolved - We are aware of issues with accessing some wikis. Some wikimedia sites failed to load with a 429 error for some users.

Professor Fei-Fei Li is one of the recipients of the 2025 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. It says so on the English Wikipedia and it is confirmed on the website of the prize.

There are nine Wikipedias with an article for the award and there is Wikidata. When the 2025 awardees are known on a Wikipedia, "2025" should be available in the text of the article. Otherwise the article is likely out of date. The recipients should be known on Wikidata AND there should be an "award received" for the award with a date of 2025.

When you check Wikidata for this award using "Reasonator", you will find that Wikidata is in need of an update. It is by accident that I learned of this award. Updates are an hit or miss affair, this would be improved when a bot produces a list of all the awards that are in need of updates. When a bot produces this list for every Wikipedia for all the known awards, it enables people to do this maintenance work. 

Obviously 2025 is this year and it will have the most mutations. A similar job can be run for other years but it is less likely to bring many additions, more likely these list will become reduced in size over time.

Thanks,

      GerardM

🕑 1 hour 57 minutes

Vera de Kok is a freelance photographer, developer and wiki consultant who was named Media Contributor of the Year at the 2025 Wikimania conference for her contributions to both Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata.

Links for some of the topics discussed:

• "I'm Wikipedia's "Media Contributor of the Year"!" (September 2025 blog post by Vera)
• View of Delft (Vermeer painting)
• Orator Matcher tool
• New Q5 tool
• VisualFileChange Wikimedia Commons gadget
• identifierInput.js Wikidata gadget
• WikiPortraits
• Youp van 't Hek Wikipedia article
• Prem Radhakishun Wikipedia article
• "Autistic editors" essay on Wikipedia
• Greater Netherlands Student Association Wikipedia article
• "Wikipedia is Autistic" episode of Autistic Culture podcast
• "The Impact of the Wikipedia Editing Course for Autistic People" (December 2024 Diff blog post)
• "Playing for the 'German Team' – A Neurodiverse Wikimedian's Journey to Nairobi, or Brigadoon" (September 2025 Diff blog post)
• Birch Bay, WA Polar Bear Plunge
• Wikipedia voice intro project
  • Mark Cousins Wikipedia article
  • Mikko Hyppönen Wikipedia article
• Doktershuis (Landsmeer) Wikipedia article (won Vera 4th place in a Dutch Wikipedia writing contest)
• Behringer U-phoria UM2 (microphone USB interface)
• Photo taken during temporary blackout at Wikimania 2025
• Photo taken during 2025 Wikimedia Hackathon
• Feline asthma Wikipedia article
• "Wie komt er alle jaren" on Wikimedia Commons