Wikipedia suspends AI test after editors criticize it
By ForGeeks The Wikimedia Foundation has temporarily suspended testing of AI annotations in the mobile version of Wikipedia after a strong reaction from the platform’s editors.
Editors sharply opposed the idea of generating sammaries
Earlier in June, Wikipedia launched an experiment: 10% of mobile devices began displaying automatically generated AI short summaries at the beginning of some articles. Users had to activate the feature themselves, and the test was scheduled to run for two weeks. However, just 24 hours after the launch, the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) scrapped the experiment.
In response to the announcement of the AI sammari launch, Wikipedia editors expressed outrage. In a discussion cited by WMF, one contributor wrote: “Ugh” and “Smiling in horror”. Another editor added: “Just because Google has launched AI annotations doesn’t mean we are obliged to copy them. I sincerely ask you not to test this – not on mobile or anywhere else. It will do immediate and irreversible damage to our reputation as a trustworthy source of information.”
He also emphasized: “Wikipedia has in a sense become synonymous with boring prudence – and that’s fine.
The community was not involved in the preparation of the test
The editors’ criticism wasn’t just about the idea itself. Many were outraged that the decision to launch the test was made without discussion with the community. One editor said that the claim of “discussions” was absurd: “There’s only one person on your link, a WMF staffer, discussing the test.
In response to an inquiry from 404 Media, a spokesperson for the foundation acknowledged the impact of the public backlash: “We regularly receive feedback from volunteers and it often leads to revised decisions. We appreciate these comments – they are what make Wikipedia a truly collaborative encyclopedia of human knowledge.
WMF explains motivation for AI implementation and promises transparency
On the talk page, a spokesperson for the foundation explained that the goal of introducing AI summaries was to meet user requests, “Many readers want a summary of a topic before moving on to read the full article.” He also noted that the average reading comprehension level of native English speakers is 14 to 15 years old, and for those reading English as a second language, it may be lower.
An AI sammarie can be used to provide a summary of a topic before moving on to a full article.
At the same time, WMF emphasized that in the future, similar initiatives will not be launched without community input. “Implementing generative AI into the Wikipedia reading experience is a big decision with important implications. We intend to approach it with due responsibility and will no longer launch such features without editorial input.”
The story Wikipedia suspends AI test after criticism from editors was first published at ITZine.ru.
