Wikipedia urges AI companies to stop scraping its content
11 Nov 2025

Wikipedia is taking a stand against the growing trend of generative AI models using its content without proper attribution or payment.

The Wikimedia Foundation, which runs the popular online encyclopedia, has urged AI companies to use its content "responsibly."

In a recent blog post, they called for proper crediting and access through their paid product, Wikimedia Enterprise.

This platform allows large-scale use of Wikipedia's content without overloading its servers while financially supporting the non-profit's mission.

AI bots scraping Wikipedia's content
Scraping concerns

The blog post comes in light of reports that AI bots have been scraping Wikipedia while posing as human users. This has led to inflated traffic earlier this year.

After tightening detection systems, the Foundation found a worrying 8% drop in "human page views" year-over-year.

This is especially concerning for a platform that relies on volunteer editors and individual donations for its operations.

Wikipedia's expectations from AI firms
Attribution emphasis

While Wikipedia hasn't threatened legal action, it has made its expectations clear.

The non-profit wants AI companies to credit its human contributors and link back to the original source. This is crucial for maintaining trust and transparency in online information.

Earlier this year, the organization unveiled an AI strategy for editors, which aims to automate the translation and routine tasks while keeping human judgment at the heart of its editorial process.