Wikipedia has suspended publishing summaries of its articles created with the help of AI
Wikipedia has decided to stop publishing short, AI-generated summaries of its articles just a day after the new feature was launched. The reason for this decision was the dissatisfaction of the editorial community, informs Engadget.
AI-generated resumes were placed at the top of pages and were accessible to about 10% of users. However, the very next day after launch, due to a number of negative comments from editors, the function was suspended. Members of the editorial community noted that such an option could harm both readers and the reputation of the resource.
Despite this, the Wikimedia Foundation does not rule out the use of artificial intelligence in future projects. At the same time, decisions about its integration will now be made in cooperation with the editors.
The pilot feature, which aimed to create short summaries for materials with the help of AI, drew sharp criticism from editors, which forced the platform to curtail the experiment. Earlier this month, Wikipedia began testing an option that allowed users to view generated summaries at the beginning of articles. These annotations were displayed for about 10% of mobile users and marked as “not verified”, requiring an additional click to view.
Testing covered a limited number of articles and lasted only two weeks. To access the new feature, users had to sign up via a browser extension or mobile app. However, due to the strong negative reaction of the editors, the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) had to quickly stop the testing.
The editors considered the introduction of the feature inappropriate and even dangerous for Wikipedia’s reputation as an authoritative source of information. In internal discussions, various comments were heard – from “Phew” to “Smiling in horror.” One of the editors warned that such AI resumes can cause “immediate and irreversible damage” to both readers and the image of the resource.
