Selena Deckelmann

Selena Deckelmann, Chief Product and Technology Officer at the Wikimedia Foundation, dives into the intriguing world of AI bots and their impact on Wikipedia. She discusses the unexpected traffic spikes following President Jimmy Carter's death, which exposed vulnerabilities in their system. Selena highlights the challenge of balancing public knowledge access with the ethical dilemmas posed by data scraping. Collaboration with developers is essential, as they navigate the complexities of AI and its growing influence on the internet.

Selena Deckelmann, Chief Product and Technology Officer at the Wikimedia Foundation, discusses the impact of AI bots on Wikipedia's infrastructure, particularly during spikes in traffic like after Jimmy Carter's passing. She highlights the challenges of commercial data scraping, emphasizing ethical concerns around AI training and the importance of equitable knowledge access. Deckelmann also addresses the balance between automated interactions and user experience, revealing the ongoing struggle to maintain site accessibility amid rising bot traffic.

Audrey Tang and Selena Deckelmann discuss the future of free knowledge, open-source ideology, Wikimedia's role in AI-assisted writing tools, community engagement in Wikipedia, advancements in large language models, envisioning knowledge accessibility in 2050, and transforming conflict into collaboration in a safe space like Wikipedia.