Wikipedia does not trust artificial intelligence enough to allow it to play a direct role in editing articles on its platform, co-founder Jimmy Wales said on Monday.

Speaking to AFP on the sidelines of a climate action week event in London, Wales said the problem of AI “hallucinations” — where fabricated information is confidently presented as fact — has reduced with newer AI models but remains a serious concern.

“We would not let it edit directly because you can’t really trust it enough,” he said.

Wales, however, said AI agents could still be useful in alerting Wikipedia’s community of millions of editors to niche news developments that might otherwise be missed.

Artificial intelligence platforms rely heavily on Wikipedia’s content to answer users’ questions. That reliance has contributed to an increase in visits to the site by AI bots, even as human traffic has reportedly dropped by eight percent.

Wales, who sits on the board of trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation, which operates Wikipedia, described the decline in human traffic as “meaningful” but “not a disaster” for the online encyclopedia.

Wikipedia, created in 2001, remains one of the 10 most visited websites in the world and depends on donations from users. Its business model does not directly rely on web traffic.

Wales urged AI companies to “pay their fair share,” saying the heavy use of Wikipedia by bots imposes real costs on the platform.

“Hammering us with millions of requests costs real money,” he said, referring to the cost of running servers.

According to him, Wikipedia has already been “very successful” in signing agreements with several technology giants.

“We’re starting to block the ones who aren’t behaving themselves, but we’ll see how that goes,” Wales added.

______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence

Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via: 0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888 Website: www.alexandernigeria.com

_______________________________________________________________________ [A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation ______________________________________________________________________ “Bridging Theory And Courtroom Practice” — Hagler Sunny Okorie, Nathaniel Ngozi Ikeocha Unveil ‘Functional’ Tort Law Book For Nigerian Legal System The book, titled The Law of Torts in Nigeria: A Functional Approach, authored by Professor Hagler Sunny Okorie Ph.D and Ikeocha, Nathaniel Ngozi Esq, offers law students, practitioners, and academics a comprehensive guide to understanding and applying tort law in Nigerian courts. Interested buyers can place orders via the following contact numbers: 08028636615, 08037667945, 08032253813, or +234 902 196 2209. _______________________________________________________________________ Groundbreaking Guide For Lawyers: Adigwe Publishes ‘Artificial Intelligence For Lawyers’ With Free Research eBook As an added bonus, every purchase comes with a FREE ebook titled: “How to use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion.” Ohio Books Ltd praises the publication, stating: "....this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic." How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626 Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACiarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria.