Instant Genius Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales on what AI and Elon Musk mean for the site's future
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Oct 27, 2025 
Join Jimmy Wales, the visionary founder of Wikipedia and author of The Seven Rules of Trust, as he delves into the evolution of the iconic platform. He discusses the challenges of maintaining trust and neutrality amid misinformation and the unique community-driven nature of Wikipedia. Wales shares insights on the potential role of AI in enhancing the site while warning against biases in training data. Hear his thoughts on the balance of social media and Wikipedia, and how transparency is crucial in this new era.
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Wiki Switch Unleashed Collaboration
- Jimmy Wales described how Newpedia's top-down review and CV requirement made contribution tedious and unpopular.
- Switching to a wiki unleashed rapid collaboration and produced far more content quickly.
Simple Rules, Formalized Over Time
- Wikipedia's core rules (like reliable sources) were simple but required formalization over time.
- Stability came from creating community norms and software tools to enforce them.
Motivation: Fun Plus Utility
- Contributors stay because editing is fun and connects them with like-minded people.
- Many also edit from a charitable motive to leave a useful resource for others.
