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Wikipedia urges AI companies to use its paid API, and stop scraping

TechCrunch 13 Nov 2025 · 9:54 AM
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Wikipedia calls on AI developers to use its paid API and stop scraping its content. This move aims to protect its resources and support its nonprofit mission.
Wikipedia urges AI companies to use its paid API, and stop scraping
Why it matters
On November 10, 2025, the Wikimedia Foundation released a blog post urging AI developers to utilize its paid Wikimedia Enterprise API instead of scraping content from its website. This request is part of a broader strategy to ensure Wikipedia's sustainability amid declining traffic and increased scraping by AI bots. The Foundation noted that human page views have dropped by 8% year-over-year, while AI bots have been detected trying to evade detection systems. By using the paid API, AI companies can access Wikipedia's content without overloading its servers and can contribute to the nonprofit's mission. The Foundation also stressed the importance of proper attribution to human contributors, stating that transparency is crucial for maintaining trust in online information. Earlier this year, Wikipedia outlined its AI strategy to assist editors with various tasks rather than replace them.
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