Adrian Johnson
TLDR:
Wikimedia’s CTO Selena Deckelmann believes that human contributors are essential in the age of AI-generated content, making Wikipedia even more valuable.
Summary:
Selena Deckelmann, the chief product and technology officer at Wikimedia Foundation, emphasizes the importance of human contributors in the era of AI-generated content. Despite the surge in AI technology, Deckelmann believes that people on the internet are the future. She leads a team that focuses on building tools for contributors, editors, and moderators to make their work faster and easier while experimenting with AI off-platform with community feedback.
Deckelmann’s goal is to ensure sustainability in open-source technology and address the challenges of AI development, where models often pull content from sites like Wikipedia without compensation for creators. By prioritizing the community and supporting contributors, Deckelmann aims to preserve Wikipedia’s open-source ethos and value as a trusted source of information.
She acknowledges the importance of engaging with open-source technology leaders to address sustainability issues and collaboratively tackle the big questions raised by AI in the digital landscape. Despite the technological advancements, Deckelmann remains dedicated to supporting healthy and sustainable online communities, ensuring that platforms like Wikipedia can continue to thrive for the long term.
