Open to Debate

Think Twice: The Seven Rules of Trust with Jimmy Wales

Oct 31, 2025
Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia and author of The Seven Rules of Trust, joins moderator Xenia Wickett for an enlightening discussion. They explore how Wikipedia has cultivated trust as a global authority while trust in institutions wanes. Wales shares insights on the significance of neutrality, the nonprofit model's role in fostering independence, and the link between trust and economic development. He also discusses the potential of AI and stresses the importance of transparency and participation in rebuilding trust in today's digital age.
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INSIGHT

Purpose Anchors Trust

  • Wikipedia built trust by sticking to a clear, consistent purpose: a free, neutral encyclopedia for everyone.
  • Purpose guides decisions and prevents chasing metrics like pageviews that would erode credibility.
ADVICE

Prioritize Individual Harms

  • Make trust personal by treating individual harms as important even if statistically rare.
  • Act quickly and empathetically when a single user's story signals a broader reputational risk.
INSIGHT

Verifiability Beats Assertion

  • Wikipedia requires verifiability from reliable, third-party sources before asserting facts.
  • Lack of independent coverage disqualifies claims from being treated as encyclopedic facts.
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