How Wikipedia is surviving in the age of ChatGPT
There has always been a risk of fake articles appearing on Wikipedia. An example of this is when the page of a Northern Irish radio presenter claimed he was a promising break-dancer cut short by a spinal injury. This misinformation ranged from trolling to promotional purposes or spreading disinformation.
The Challenges Posed by AI-Generated Content
Wikipedia, with over 16 billion visits per month, has become a target for inserting disinformation or marketing messages. The emergence of AI-generated content has presented new challenges that the platform is working to combat.
Following the introduction of ChatGPT, Wikipedia expanded its machine learning team. Co-founder Jimmy Wales views AI as both an opportunity and a threat, emphasizing the platform's crucial role in the age of artificial intelligence.
Recognizing AI-Generated Texts
Miguel Ángel García, a Wikimedia Spain partner, has encountered suspected AI-generated texts on Wikipedia. He notes the difference in patterns between AI-generated texts and those created by human editors.
García stresses the importance of community moderation in detecting and addressing inappropriate texts, highlighting Wikipedia's model of debate, consensus, and strict citation rules for maintaining content quality.
Adapting to the Era of AI
Chris Albon, director of Machine Learning at the Wikimedia Foundation, acknowledges the use of AI tools by volunteers and underscores the necessity for responsible AI use on Wikipedia. The community plays a vital role in editing, improving, and auditing AI-generated work.
Future Concerns and Solutions
In a scenario where AI-powered chatbots dominate user queries, there are concerns about the future of Wikipedia articles and volunteer engagement. Ensuring proper attribution and linkages to original sources is crucial in combating misinformation.
While AI applications like ChatGPT are trained on Wikipedia content, the need for clear attribution and linkages to original sources remains a priority to prevent the spread of misinformation.
