Wikipedia bans most AI-Generated content; move may create immediate hurdles for advertisers and marketers

Wikipedia has remained one of the main sources of information in AI and traditional search queries, but updates to its editing policy for the English version make it clear all site moderators cannot use large language models (LLMs) to generate content for the site, reports TVNewsCheck.

Although this may create immediate hurdles for advertisers and marketers relying on automated tools to increase online traffic to websites and foot traffic to stores, TVNewsCheck states that “it could have a long-term positive impact on marketers prioritizing quality.

“SEO marketers focused on Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) could find this ban beneficial, because it prevents what Wikipedia calls “model collapse,” where AI engines train on AI-generated Wikipedia content, ensuring that the “knowledge graphs” powering Google’s AI Overviews and other chatbots remain grounded in human-verified facts.”

According to Wikipedia’s updated editing policy, the only reasons someone can use AI-generated copy are to generate translated text for the English version of the site and in basic copyedits. All other uses are prohibited.

The Wikipedia Foundation released a statement in October 2025 on an approximate 8% decline of human pageviews on Wikipedia, compared with the same period in 2024. The company attributed the decline to the impact of generative AI and social media, and how people seek information, especially with search engines providing answers directly to searchers, often based on Wikipedia content.