New Delhi, February 18 – Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales delivered a stark rebuke to AI enthusiasts dreaming of ‘Grokpedia’ at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. Dismissing comparisons between emerging AI knowledge platforms and Wikipedia, Wales declared such concepts fundamentally impractical and incapable of rivaling his creation.
In a candid session, Wales unpacked the misconception fueling AI replicas of Wikipedia. ‘AI can’t replicate human collaboration, transparency, and verified sources,’ he asserted. Wikipedia thrives on collective human effort, a dynamic no automated system can mimic.
Wales raised alarms over AI’s failure to credit original sources properly. ‘It’s not just technical—it’s an ethical imperative in the digital age,’ he stressed. Current AI tools, he noted, struggle to trace information origins accurately, eroding trust.
Acknowledging shifting user habits, Wales revealed an 8% drop in human traffic to Wikipedia. ‘It’s a disaster,’ he called it, pointing to reliance on AI summaries over direct visits. Yet, he remains optimistic about India’s AI prospects, citing its robust IT ecosystem and skilled workforce as key advantages.
On jobs, Wales predicted AI would elevate certain skills, boosting efficiency. But he warned of impending turbulence: ‘We’re in a phase of massive change and instability.’ Some professions may fade, though predicting exact impacts remains elusive.
Jimmy Wales, the American internet entrepreneur behind the world’s largest free encyclopedia, also co-founded wiki-hosting service Fandom. His insights underscore Wikipedia’s enduring model amid AI disruption.