Following a wave of internal editor backlash, the Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia, has paused its pilot initiative that used artificial intelligence to generate summaries on articles automatically. The feature, which utilized an AI model by Cohere, was designed to simplify articles and display summaries at the top of each page. It was used on the mobile version of the platform, and since its inception, it quickly met with negative reactions from the community, with editors warning that it could damage the trust of users.
Wikipedia pauses AI summaries: Key details
Earlier this month, the Wikimedia Foundation introduced a trial of AI-generated article summaries on the mobile version of Wikipedia, which was titled ‘Simple Article Summaries.’ It used AI to make complex Wikipedia articles easier to understand for users, and these automatically generated summaries appeared at the top of Wikipedia articles, each clearly labeled with a yellow indicator marking them as ‘unverified.’
However, as reported by 404 Media, this initiative quickly drew criticism from long-time Wikipedia contributors, who argued that it risked damaging the platform’s hard-earned reputation for reliability, and it is against the spirit of Wikipedia, where content is usually written and reviewed by human volunteers, without any charge.
In response to the criticism, the Wikimedia Foundation has paused this experiment. A project manager has also acknowledged that incorporating AI into Wikipedia is a serious decision that requires proper consideration, including the participation of editors at every step. However, the organization has also indicated that it remains interested in exploring future applications of AI technology, especially to improve access to knowledge.
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