The Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia, has noticed an increase in bot activity on the encyclopedic website, and a decline of approximately 8 percent in human page views. The non-profit says the trend is due to a combination of the impact of social media and generative AI as informational sources for potential visitors. AI now provides summarized answers to user questions, while younger people are increasingly finding information through social video. The Foundation’s organizers say the audience loss could have a negative effect on Wikipedia donors as well as the human volunteers who keep the site current. Continue reading AI Search and Social Video Have Impact on Wikipedia Traffic

Hype, a YouTube feature that helps smaller channels break through to wider audiences, uses a point system that lets fans help emerging creators get onto a new ranked leaderboard. Launched as a test last year, Hype is now live in 39 countries, including the U.S., UK, Japan and India. Viewers can take advantage of a free opportunity to “hype” up to three long-form videos per week for creators with from 500 to 500,000 subscribers. Videos receive points for being hyped, with “bonus points” awarded on a sliding scale that benefits smaller creators. Only videos uploaded within the last 7 days are eligible. Continue reading YouTube Boosts Hype Feature to Help Creators Expand Reach