Wikimedia Futures Lab Tackles AI, Knowledge Gaps and the Future of Open Knowledge

Frankfurt, Germany – From January 30 to February 1, 2026, over 100 participants from the Wikimedia movement convened in Frankfurt for the Wikimedia Futures Lab, an event organized by Wikimedia Deutschland in collaboration with the Wikimedia Foundation. The lab aimed to address the evolving landscape of knowledge consumption, contribution, and infrastructure, particularly in light of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.

The Journey to Frankfurt and Regional Representation

The convening followed months of discussion, beginning with a session at Wikimania 2025 designed to gather community perspectives. Participants included affiliate representatives, volunteer contributors, and external experts. Representing the ESEAP (East, Southeast Asia and the Pacific) Hub, along with four other participants from the region – Yongjin Ko (Wikimedia Korea), Ahmad Ali Karim (Wikimedia Community User Group Malaysia), Curtis Lui (Wikimedia Community User Group Hong Kong), and Jeromi Mikhael (Indonesian Wikipedia) – highlighted the importance of regional representation within the Wikimedia movement. Jeromi Mikhael was the sole representative carrying the flag for Indonesia at the conference.

Day One: Navigating a Changing Knowledge Landscape

The first day of the lab centered on the question of how a changing world impacts Wikimedia. Presentations and panel discussions explored how people consume and contribute knowledge, and how the broader knowledge infrastructure is shifting. A key theme was the increasing reliance on social media, short-form video, and AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude as primary sources of information. While Wikipedia traffic remains significant, the pathways to it are evolving, and attribution is becoming blurred, with users often unaware when AI chatbots utilize Wikipedia-derived data.

Malka Older, Executive Director of Global Voices and a science-fiction author, emphasized the importance of embracing uncertainty and skepticism, stating, “I want you to remember that [the future] is uncertain and that those who are telling you things with certainty, are the ones that you want to be the most careful and sceptical about.”

Discussions also revealed that the traditional Wikipedia editing pathway is losing appeal, particularly among younger users who prefer to express their knowledge through platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit. The MediaWiki interface was described as rule-heavy, and intimidating.

Day Two: The Knowledge Infrastructure Question and the Next 25 Years

The second day focused on the structural challenges facing Wikimedia as it approaches its 25th anniversary (February 15, 2026). Concerns were raised about the extractive utilize of Wikimedia content by AI companies without adequate attribution or contribution, regulatory friction, and a broader shift toward closed, commercial information environments.

Yongjin Ko prompted reflection on the future of Wikimedia projects over the next 25 years, a question with varying implications depending on geographic location. For the ESEAP region, with its diverse languages and digital infrastructure, “staying relevant” presents a multitude of challenges. The conversation mirrored ongoing discussions in Indonesia regarding open cultural data, highlighting persistent issues of awareness gaps, copyright confusion, and institutional protectiveness.

Day Three: Experimenting Towards a Solution

The final day shifted towards action, tasking participants with proposing experiments to address the challenges identified. Over 50 experiments were proposed, with 23 published on Meta. These experiments spanned a wide range of challenges.

WikiVoice: Archiving Oral Knowledge

One notable experiment, WikiVoice, proposed a digital language archive for oral knowledge – stories, community recordings, and Indigenous languages with primarily oral traditions. Developed by participants from Nigeria and India, WikiVoice aims to create a Wikimedia-native infrastructure for hosting, digitizing, and generating citable references from audio and video media. This would address the current limitations of Wikipedia’s citation infrastructure, which primarily supports written sources, and enable the inclusion of knowledge that currently exists only in spoken form.

The WikiVoice experiment is designed to adhere to the FAIR-CARE principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, Reusability, Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics), recognizing the importance of ethical considerations when working with Indigenous and community knowledge.

Looking Ahead

The Wikimedia Futures Lab is intended as the beginning of an ongoing process, with conversations continuing throughout 2026 to inform annual planning and movement strategy. A key takeaway for the ESEAP Hub is the necessitate for increased visibility and voice within the Wikimedia movement, ensuring that the diverse perspectives and needs of the region are represented in future discussions and initiatives.

You can follow the WikiVoice experiment here: WikiVoice – Wikimedia Futures Lab Experiment Tracker