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Wikipedia is often described as the last good website on an internet increasingly filled with toxic social media and AI slop. But it seems the online encyclopedia is not completely immune to broader trends, with human pageviews falling 8% year-over-year, according to a new blog post from Marshall Miller of the Wikimedia Foundation.

The foundation works to distinguish between traffic from humans and bots, and Miller writes that the decline “over the past few months” was revealed after an update to Wikipedia’s bot detection systems appeared to show that “much of the unusually high traffic for the period of May and June was coming from bots that were built to evade detection.”

Why is traffic falling? Miller points to “the impact of generative AI and social media on how people seek information,” particularly as “search engines are increasingly using generative AI to provide answers directly to searchers rather than linking to sites like ours” and as “younger generations are seeking information on social video platforms rather than the open web.” (Google has disputed the claim that AI summaries reduce traffic from search.)

Miller says the foundation welcomes “new ways for people to gain knowledge” and argues this doesn’t make Wikipedia any less important, since knowledge sourced from the encyclopedia is still reaching people even if they don’t visit the website. Wikipedia even experimented with AI summaries of its own, though it paused the effort after editors complained.

But this shift does present risks, particularly if people are becoming less aware of where their information actually comes from. As Miller puts it, “With fewer visits to Wikipedia, fewer volunteers may grow and enrich the content, and fewer individual donors may support this work.” (Some of those volunteers are truly remarkable, reportedly disarming a gunman at a Wikipedia editors’ conference on Friday.)

For that reason, he argues that AI, search, and social companies using content from Wikipedia “must encourage more visitors” to the website itself.

And he says Wikipedia is taking steps of its own, for example by developing a new framework for attributing content from the encyclopedia. The organization also has two teams tasked with helping Wikipedia reach new readers, and it’s looking for volunteers to help.

Miller also encourages readers to “support content integrity and content creation” more broadly.

“When you search for information online, look for citations and click through to the original source material,” he writes. “Talk with the people you know about the importance of trusted, human curated knowledge, and help them understand that the content underlying generative AI was created by real people who deserve their support.”

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

Release Date: October 17, 2025

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

• Reliance Industries Ltd (WBO:RLI) reported strong performance across all business segments, with a notable 18% growth in EBITDA for Jio, driven by strong customer additions in both mobility and home segments.

• The retail segment saw a robust year-on-year growth of 17% in EBITDA, with revenues increasing by 18%, supported by significant growth in fashion, lifestyle, grocery, and electronics categories.

• The energy business reported a 21% increase in performance, driven by higher cracks across gasoline, gas oil, and ATF, along with increased domestic placements.

• Reliance Industries Ltd (WBO:RLI) is making significant progress in its new energy initiatives, with plans to start renewable energy round-the-clock power plants in Kutch next year.

• The company is expanding its digital services and AI capabilities, with Reliance Intelligence set to develop AI products and solutions, leveraging partnerships with global tech companies like Meta.

• Despite strong overall performance, the upstream segment experienced a decline due to natural production falls in the KGD6 fields.

• Finance costs increased by 14%, and depreciation rose by 12%, primarily due to 5G capitalization and spectrum interest.

• The petrochemical segment faced challenges with weak demand for PVC and PET due to heavy rains and floods affecting agricultural and packaging sectors.

• The media business, while showing growth, faces challenges in maintaining momentum post-IPL, with a need to convert cricket audiences to entertainment content.

• The geopolitical situation and increased OSPs have impacted the refining margins, despite high cracks in the refining segment.

Q: Are there any plans for a tariff hike in the near future? A: Unidentified_2: No immediate plans for a tariff hike. We are encouraging consumers to use more services, but there are no current plans to change tariffs.

Q: Is the current monthly run rate for connecting new homes expected to increase? A: Unidentified_2: We expect to ramp up the rate of connecting new homes. The technology is working well, and many new connections are being done wirelessly, allowing for simpler and faster implementation.

Q: How will Reliance Intelligence and Geo Platforms collaborate on AI initiatives? A: Unidentified_2: Reliance Intelligence will develop AI products and solutions, while Geo Platforms will bring these to market. Geo Platforms can also work with other partners like Meta, OpenAI, and Google.

Q: What is the status of the battery cell assembly plant, and how is Reliance handling equipment sourcing given China’s export restrictions? A: Unidentified_8: The battery cell factories are progressing well, and we have secured all equipment for the first phase of cell manufacturing. Equipment sourcing is happening globally, and we are monitoring the impact of new regulations.

Q: How is the Quick commerce model different from other models, and what advantages does it offer? A: Unidentified_3: The Quick commerce model has pivoted to focus on instant deliveries, offering the widest assortment, best pricing, and no hidden charges. The model leverages a vast store network and localized assortment knowledge, providing a significant advantage over competitors.

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.