Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit behind Wikipedia, is changing how it works with large tech firms as demand for AI training data grows. On Thursday, Wikimedia said it has signed paid content deals with Microsoft (MSFT), Meta Platforms (META), and Amazon (AMZN).
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That shift comes as AI companies rely more than ever on Wikipedia to train chatbots and digital assistants. The site’s 65 million articles, published in more than 300 languages, are widely used in AI systems. As this use has grown, traffic to Wikipedia’s servers has increased, raising costs for a platform that still depends mainly on small public donations.
Why Wikimedia Is Charging for AI Use
For years, many tech companies have used Wikipedia’s content for free. But pulling large amounts of data has increased traffic and put pressure on Wikimedia’s systems, raising costs. To manage this, Wikimedia has been encouraging companies to use its paid enterprise service. The product gives firms cleaner, ready-to-use data for AI training, while also helping fund Wikipedia’s day-to-day work.
Lane Becker, president of Wikimedia Enterprise, said tech companies now see how important Wikipedia is to their AI projects and understand the need to help support it financially.
Beyond Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon, Wikimedia has also signed agreements with AI-focused firms such as Perplexity and Mistral AI. It already has a long-standing arrangement with Alphabet (GOOGL), announced in 2022.
Microsoft said access to reliable information is critical for building responsible AI systems and that working with Wikimedia supports a healthier content ecosystem.
What This Deal Means for Wikipedia
Wikipedia’s articles are written and maintained by about 250,000 volunteer editors around the world. The new partnerships aim to support that work as AI companies rely more on trusted information from the site.
Wikimedia also said that former U.S. ambassador Bernadette Meehan will take over as chief executive later this month.
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