The Rest Is Politics: Leading 169. Jimmy Wales: Wikipedia vs. Musk, AI, and the Battle for Truth
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Jan 5, 2026 
In this engaging discussion, Jimmy Wales, the co-founder of Wikipedia, shares insights into the groundbreaking platform he created. He delves into Wikipedia's unique model of crowdsourcing and its impact on trust compared to social media. Wales explains how contentious entries, like those about Donald Trump, are managed through community debate. He also critiques the current state of AI, highlighting limitations in large language models. Additionally, he addresses the decline in public trust and the challenges faced by contemporary journalism.
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Openness Plus Purpose Keeps Wikipedia Functional
- Wikipedia's openness—allowing almost anyone to edit most pages instantly—was a radical decision that nevertheless largely works because of strong community norms.
- A clear, narrowly defined purpose (a neutral, free encyclopedia) channels contributions and reduces the chaos common to social media.
Business Model Shapes Platform Behavior
- Wikipedia's donation-driven model changes incentives compared with ad-funded platforms and reduces the drive for attention-maximizing, polarising content.
- Not chasing clicks lets editors prioritise coverage and quality over engagement metrics.
Crowd Debate Stabilises Contested Pages
- Content on high-profile pages like Donald Trump is debated publicly and tends to stabilise through community discussion, not unilateral control.
- Wikipedia resolves disputes via open dialogue and community straw-polls rather than top-down arbitration.
