Wikipedia signs AI deals with Microsoft, Meta and other tech firms as it turns 25

Wikipedia announced agreements with several AI companies including Microsoft and Meta on its 25th anniversary, saying the deals will provide paid access to its content and help cover infrastructure costs.

Wikipedia announced new agreements with several artificial intelligence companies as it marked its 25th anniversary. The Wikimedia Foundation said the deals include Amazon, Meta, Perplexity, Microsoft and France's Mistral AI, following an earlier enterprise agreement with Google in 2022. The foundation said the companies are paying to access Wikipedia content at volumes and speeds designed for their needs, and it did not disclose financial details. Wikipedia remains a largely volunteer-edited site with more than 65 million articles in 300 languages, and the foundation says maintaining infrastructure carries ongoing costs. Key facts: - The article says the Wikimedia Foundation signed agreements with AI companies including Amazon, Meta, Perplexity, Microsoft and Mistral AI to provide access to Wikipedia content. - The foundation described access as arranged "at a volume and speed designed specifically for their needs" and did not provide monetary details. - Wikimedia previously signed Google as a customer in 2022 and announced other agreements last year with smaller players such as Ecosia. - The foundation reported human traffic fell about 8% last year while visits from automated agents have increased and have been taxing servers. - Wikimedia CEO Maryana Iskander said infrastructure is not free; she is stepping down on Jan. 20 and will be replaced by Bernadette Meehan. - Founder Jimmy Wales said he welcomes AI models training on human-curated Wikipedia content but urged companies to "chip in and pay for your fair share," and the foundation has outlined an AI strategy that could produce editor tools and search improvements. Summary: The agreements are intended to give AI companies structured access to Wikipedia content while creating revenue to support site infrastructure and handling of automated traffic. The move also reflects changing web usage as AI summaries and chat-style responses increasingly arise instead of traditional links to source pages. Undetermined at this time.