"We're not asking for charity": Wikimedia CEO calls out AI for unpaid data use

Wikimedia Foundation CEO Bernadette Meehan reports that Wikipedia page views fell 8% in 2025. This decline is attributed to AI models utilizing Wikipedia data without compensation, allowing users to access information without visiting the site. Meehan expresses concern that this unpaid data use threatens the ecosystem's sustainability, potentially impacting the donations and volunteer contributions necessary to maintain the online encyclopedia. The organization emphasizes that they are not seeking charity but addressing the AI-driven shift in information discovery.