Wikipedia editors have rebelled against AI

Wikimedia Foundation suspended AI experiment in Wikipedia just two days after launch

As reported by TUT.AZ, 404 Media reports about the unexpected termination of the initiative to implement artificial intelligence in the work of the largest online encyclopedia.

According to a representative of the Wikimedia Foundation, the ambitious project, launched on June 2, was aimed at simplifying complex Wikipedia articles for readers with various levels of preparation. The experiment used the Aya artificial intelligence model from Cohere. The developers planned to assess the demand for such a feature and create effective moderation systems that would preserve the key role of humans in the content formation process. However, the experiment had to be shut down on June 4 due to numerous objections from article editors.

"We often receive diverse feedback from volunteers and take it into account in our decisions, sometimes changing course," explained the Wikimedia Foundation representative. "We welcome such thoughtful feedback - this is what continues to make Wikipedia a platform of collective human knowledge."

He also acknowledged organizational shortcomings, noting that the team "should have better presented this idea and started a discussion" with the community on Wikipedia's technical forum (VPT) several months ago. The foundation's representative emphasized that as the ways of using the internet change, they will continue to seek innovative approaches for educating future generations, striving to conduct experiments "in safe ways appropriate for readers and the community."