Wikipedia, one of the world’s most trusted online information sources, is facing a noticeable drop in human traffic. The Wikimedia Foundation reported that pageviews have fallen by around 8% compared to last year. The decline is linked to the growing use of generative AI and social media platforms that are changing how people search for information online.
Marshall Miller from the Wikimedia Foundation said the drop became clear after new bot detection updates. These updates showed that earlier spikes in traffic were caused by bots pretending to be real users. Once removed, it revealed a true decline in genuine visits.
However, the issue goes beyond bots. Miller explained that user behavior is shifting. People now rely more on AI-generated search results and social video platforms instead of visiting traditional websites. “Search engines use generative AI to answer questions directly, rather than sending users to sites like Wikipedia,” he said. Younger audiences are also turning to short, visual content for quick answers.
Despite fewer visitors, Wikipedia still plays a major role in the digital world. Much of the knowledge used by AI chatbots and search summaries comes from Wikipedia’s volunteer-created content. Miller noted that the encyclopedia’s value remains strong, even if fewer people visit the website itself.
Wikipedia has also experimented with AI summaries but paused the project after concerns from community editors. The foundation is now working on better ways to credit Wikipedia when its content is used by AI systems and search engines.
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The drop in traffic brings new challenges. With fewer visits, there may be fewer volunteer editors and fewer small donations that keep the site running. To tackle this, the foundation is launching new initiatives to attract readers and ensure that Wikipedia remains a trusted, human-curated source of knowledge in an increasingly AI-driven world.
