Business Daily Business Daily meets: Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales
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Nov 28, 2025 
Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia and a key figure in the Wikimedia Foundation, shares the fascinating journey of creating the world's largest free online encyclopedia. He discusses the wiki model's revolutionary collaborative approach and how it shapes knowledge today. Wales addresses the challenges of AI-generated content, political criticisms, and the impact of social media on public perception. He emphasizes Wikipedia's independence and the importance of community resilience while maintaining an optimistic outlook on technology's potential.
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Wikipedia As Global Knowledge Infrastructure
- Wikipedia functions as global infrastructure relied on for knowledge and AI grounding.
- Wales sees the platform's impact as enormous and foundational for other technologies.
Perception Outpaces Reality
- Public perception of Wikipedia has shifted beyond the platform's real strengths and flaws.
- Wales emphasises ongoing gaps and a persistent drive to improve rather than complacency.
Engagement Algorithms Fuel Division
- Social media algorithms prioritise engagement and often reward divisive content.
- Wales remains optimistic about the internet's benefits despite these systemic problems.