For nearly two decades, Wikipedia has been one of the most trusted and widely used knowledge sources on the internet. But in 2025, it’s facing a problem that even its editors didn’t anticipate a sharp Wikipedia traffic decline. As people increasingly rely on AI-generated answers and short social videos, the web’s original encyclopedia is watching its visits fall faster than ever.
According to statistics from the Wikimedia Foundation, global page views of Wikipedia fell sharply from the previous year. The decline reflects a cultural change in how information is being accessed from tireless searching and reading to snap, bite sized answers and image consumption.
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AI Search Is Rewriting How We Look for Information
Years ago with the internet, people Googled, scrolled down a list of blue links, and often landed on Wikipedia for detailed explanations. That routine is fading. Search experiences powered by AI abridgments like Google’s AI Overview, Bing Copilot, and the web version of ChatGPT are answering on the page itself.
Instead of clicking through to Wikipedia to find out “What is climate change?” users now receive a polished summary on the head of their search. Those summaries are typically compiled from multiple sources, with Wikipedia itself playing a big role in training the AI but users never actually go to the site itself.
This is producing a rise in “zero-click searches,” where the answer appears immediately and no website receives traffic. For websites like Wikipedia, that rely on masses’ involvement and coverage, such a transformation is an existential threat.
Social Video Retrieval
This Wikipedia traffic decline is not only due to AI. Platforms such as TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels are revolutionizing the way the younger generation uses knowledge.
Instead of scrolling through pages of solid text, users now opt for small video explanations or impressive deconstructions of complex topics. “What is black hole theory?” Enter a 30-second animated clip can now be provided instead of a link to Wikipedia.
This is a sign of a wider change in consumer behaviour. Information is becoming increasingly entertainment-driven, personalized and visual – characteristics that do not sit well with Wikipedia’s neutral text form.
A Quiet Crisis for the Open Web
Wikipedia’s influence extends far beyond page views. It is a cornerstone of the open internet a volunteer created repository, cited by journalists, that provides the factual basis for many AI platforms. The continued decline in usage doesn’t just mean fewer readers; this can cut down on the number of editors and donations that keep the project alive.
Marshall Miller, vice president of the Wikimedia Foundation, recently said that AI systems usually use Wikipedia’s data, but don’t always give them credit. The result: AI gets more intelligent, but the human editors who maintain that information get less credit and support.
This is a dynamic that could undermine the viability of open knowledge ecosystems – if AI models continue to consume without returning.
Wikipedia’s Balancing Act with AI
The Wikimedia Foundation is not resting on its laurels. It wants to partner with leading technology companies to ensure fair allocation and visibility in AI-generated content. It also asks developers to cite original Wikipedia sources when using their content.
While the company experiments with its own innovations from AI-powered editing tools to language expansion initiatives it appears to be holding its breath when it comes to introducing AI summaries to Wikipedia, insisting that human oversight and editorial judgment are necessary to protect factual accuracy.
Wikipedia’s situation is evidence of a deeper truth: AI can make information more accessible, but it cannot replace the credibility due to human control.
Why This Change Matters to Everyone
The Wikipedia traffic decline is more than a platform issue it’s a canary-in-the-coal-mine for the web. When fewer people go to original sources, fewer write, reference, or verify facts. This can create an information feedback loop in the long run where AI repurposes existing content without generating new or improved knowledge.
There’s worry among experts that unless traffic picks up again across the open web, the quality of web-based information will run dry. AI systems are fed rich, human-created content but if creators themselves no longer have motivation to produce it, the entire ecosystem collapses.
What Can Be Done
Wikipedia’s relevance in the age of AI must be preserved on a community basis by technology companies, programmers and users:
- AI developers must ensure fair attribution and linking when using data from Wikipedia.
- Search engines should provide interfaces that encourage users to click on the source content.
- Users must appreciate the benefits of clicking and support open platforms that promote collective knowledge.
In short, it’s still important to click on the source article.
Conclusion: The recent Wikipedia traffic decline isn’t about less relevance it’s about changing behavior. Social media and AI have made information faster, more convenient and more graphically friendly, but convenience comes at a price.
As we move towards an AI-infused internet, the challenge will be to reconcile rapid response with accurate, human-controlled knowledge. The history of Wikipedia serves to remind us that the future of information doesn’t just depend on technology it also depends on whether we still care about the origins of our knowledge.