Wikipedia Turns 25: The Online Encyclopedia’s Big Birthday Bash and New Partnerships with AI Tech Giants
Can you believe it’s been 25 years since the internet’s most beloved hub of knowledge, Wikipedia, was born? To celebrate this milestone, the Wikimedia Foundation dropped some major news: a series of new partnerships with AI tech companies, all revolving around their industrial product, Wikimedia Enterprise.
So, what is Wikimedia Enterprise, you ask? It’s a platform that allows for the large-scale reuse and distribution of Wikipedia content, as well as content from other Wikimedia projects. And the companies they’ve partnered with? We’re talking the likes of Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Mistral AI, and Perplexity. These deals are a big deal, as they provide Wikipedia with a fresh revenue stream. And let’s be real, in an era where AI models and other tech services are relying on their content to provide fast and accurate answers, the importance of this couldn’t be more crucial.
But it’s not just about the Benjamins, baby. Wikimedia Enterprise is designed to provide tech companies with access to Wikimedia projects at scale and speed, meeting their data needs. And the foundation is proud to note that Wikipedia is now one of the top 10 most-visited websites globally, with audiences viewing over 65 million articles in over 300 languages a whopping 15 billion times per month.
“We show that data is human, and data needs people,” said Selena Deckelmann, CPO/CTO at the Wikimedia Foundation. “Especially now, in the age of AI, we need the human-powered data of Wikipedia more than ever. We’re grateful for continued support from readers, volunteer editors, donors, partners, and followers around the world, as we remain the essential hub for human-powered data and collaboration online for the next 25 years and beyond.”
To mark this special occasion, the Wikimedia Foundation has also launched a new video docuseries that takes a behind-the-scenes look at Wikipedia volunteers around the world. They’ve also created a “25 Years of Wikipedia” time capsule, exploring the site’s past, present, and future. And, because what’s a birthday without a party, there’s a planned livestreamed bash on January 15, complete with guests, games, and entertainment.
But that’s not all, folks! The foundation’s birthday announcements also touched on recent developments, such as upgrades to their tech infrastructure, a new approach to AI, new experiments like games and short-form video, and more.
So here’s to another 25 years of Wikipedia, and the impact it’s had on our collective understanding of the world.
