"A changing internet": Wikipedia sees drop in traffic as AI and social platforms bypass links

Wikipedia is seeing fewer visitors: The Wikimedia Foundation says page views have dropped by about eight percent compared to last year. The foundation points to generative AI tools and social networks that display Wikipedia content without sending users to the site. Bots that increasingly resemble real users are also putting more strain on Wikipedia's infrastructure.

Wikipedia remains a core source for training AI models, the foundation notes, but direct visits to the site are falling. If this trend continues, the project could face long-term risks. To respond, Wikimedia is working on new formats for younger audiences, better mobile editing, and clearer guidelines for how others can use Wikipedia content.