Wikipedia has banned the use of artificial intelligence in generating or rewriting content for its online encyclopedia, according to a new policy change announced March 27, 2026. The policy states that the use of large language models “often violates” Wikipedia’s core principles and will not be allowed across the platform’s more than 7.1 million English-language articles.
The decision follows a contentious debate among Wikipedia’s community of volunteer editors, with a vote among editors ultimately supporting the ban, according to 404 Media. Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia’s founder, has previously expressed skepticism about AI’s readiness for encyclopedia work, calling current AI results a “mess” due to misleading or “hallucinated” information.
The ban includes two specific exceptions: AI can still be used for translations and to make minor copy edits. “Editors are permitted to use LLMs to suggest basic copyedits to their own writing, and to incorporate some of them after human review, provided the LLM does not introduce content of its own,” the new policy states. The policy warns that “caution is required, because LLMs can go beyond what you ask of them and change the meaning of the text such that it is not supported by the sources cited.”
The policy change comes as AI tools have gained widespread adoption, with ChatGPT reportedly overtaking Wikipedia in monthly website visits last year. Tech companies have embedded AI into web searches and email writing suggestions, making the technology increasingly prevalent in information consumption.
Wales indicated last year that while AI could help with some aspects of Wikipedia, it wouldn’t be used to draft articles “at least not in the short run.” He told the BBC that “the latest models are still, from a Wikipedian standpoint, nowhere near good enough,” though he didn’t rule out future use entirely, saying “I wouldn’t say absolutely never.”
