TL;DR
Wikimedia Foundation revealed a set of commercial agreements with AI and tech companies that will access Wikimedia content via its Wikimedia Enterprise product. The announcement, timed with Wikipedia’s 25th anniversary, lists firms including Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Mistral AI and Perplexity among customers.
What happened
As part of its 25th anniversary, the Wikimedia Foundation publicly disclosed multiple new commercial customers for Wikimedia Enterprise, its product designed to supply Wikimedia project content at scale. The foundation said that, in addition to the Google relationship announced in 2022, deals formed over the past year include Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Mistral AI and Perplexity; other previously mentioned customers such as Ecosia, Pleias and ProRata are also part of the roster, alongside Nomic and Reef Media. Wikimedia Enterprise packages content and delivery intended to meet high-volume, low-latency data needs of organizations building products and services. The foundation framed the partnerships as one way to sustain Wikipedia’s operations while emphasizing the continuing importance of volunteer editors. The birthday announcement also highlighted a docuseries about volunteer editors, a 25-year time capsule, infrastructure upgrades, experiments with short-form video and games, and a livestreamed celebration on January 15 at 4:00 PM UTC.
Why it matters
- Provides a commercial revenue channel tied directly to large-scale reuse of Wikimedia content.
- Formalizes access paths for AI and tech companies that rely on Wikipedia-style knowledge in their products.
- Signals an organizational push to pair human-curated knowledge with partner technologies amid broader AI adoption.
- Highlights Wikimedia’s efforts to scale delivery to meet enterprise needs while maintaining volunteer-driven editing.
Key facts
- Wikimedia Enterprise is the foundation’s commercial product for large-scale reuse and distribution of Wikimedia content.
- Newly disclosed Enterprise customers formed over the past year include Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Mistral AI and Perplexity.
- Google was previously announced as a Wikimedia Enterprise partner in 2022.
- Other named partners in the announcement include Ecosia, Pleias, ProRata, Nomic and Reef Media.
- Wikimedia said audiences view over 65 million articles in more than 300 languages nearly 15 billion times per month.
- The foundation marked these disclosures as part of Wikipedia’s 25th birthday activities.
- Announced birthday activities include a docuseries on volunteer editors, a 25 Years of Wikipedia time capsule, and a livestreamed event Jan. 15 at 4:00 PM UTC.
- The foundation also noted recent infrastructure upgrades, a stated approach to AI, and experiments with games and short-form video.
What to watch next
- The Jan. 15 livestreamed birthday event on Wikipedia’s YouTube, TikTok and Instagram channels (confirmed in the source).
- Whether specific contract terms or licensing models for Enterprise customers are published publicly (not confirmed in the source).
- How these partnerships affect the way AI companies attribute or update content drawn from Wikimedia projects (not confirmed in the source).
Quick glossary
- Wikimedia Foundation: A nonprofit organization that hosts and supports Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects.
- Wikimedia Enterprise: A commercial product from the Wikimedia Foundation designed to provide high-volume, high-speed access to Wikimedia project content for organizations.
- AI model: A trained software system that processes data to perform tasks such as generating text, answering questions, or classifying information.
- Wikipedia: A multilingual, volunteer-edited online encyclopedia that is one of the most visited websites globally.
Reader FAQ
Which companies did the Wikimedia Foundation name as new Enterprise customers?
The announcement lists Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Mistral AI and Perplexity, alongside previously mentioned partners such as Ecosia, Pleias, ProRata, Nomic and Reef Media; Google was disclosed as a prior partner in 2022.
Does Wikimedia Enterprise change how Wikipedia content is created or edited?
Not confirmed in the source.
Will these deals make Wikipedia content paywalled or proprietary?
Not confirmed in the source.
When is the Wikimedia Foundation’s 25th anniversary livestream?
The livestream is scheduled for January 15 at 4:00 PM UTC and will appear on Wikipedia’s YouTube, TikTok and Instagram channels.
As part of its 25th birthday celebration, the Wikimedia Foundation announced a series of new partnerships with AI tech companies that are now customers of its commercial product, Wikimedia Enterprise….
Sources
- Wikimedia Foundation announces new AI partnerships with Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Perplexity and others
- Wikipedia inks AI deals with Microsoft, Meta and Perplexity …
- Wikipedia owner signs on Microsoft, Meta in AI content …
- Wikipedia partners with Microsoft, Meta for AI training
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