Critics threaten Wikipedia's role as a reliable information source

The future of Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, is threatened by increasing polarization, AI, and influential critics, potentially jeopardizing its role as a reliable source of information. Wikipedia faces challenges from AI chatbots, which may diminish its readership and contributions, and from critics like Elon Musk, who have publicly disparaged the platform. The Wikimedia Foundation is also under scrutiny, with concerns raised about its compliance with tax regulations and the potential for manipulation by foreign actors. Despite these threats, Wikipedia's open-source nature and community-driven editing model may offer resilience. The platform's reliance on human oversight and its commitment to providing free access to knowledge are seen as crucial in an era of misinformation, even as it grapples with issues of bias and the impact of AI.