2025:Program/Leave the hype behind, a Wiki Approach to the World of AI
Session title: Leave the hype behind, a Wiki Approach to the World of AI
- Session type: Lecture
- Track: Technology
- Language: en
Recording: https://w.wiki/F8zW
Wikimedia Deutschland is tackling AI’s challenges through political, legal, educational, and technological initiatives. In this session, we will share our work—from policy papers on AI’s societal impact to advanced vector-based semantic search for Wikidata. Our goal is to spark a conversation, inspire collaboration, and provide practical tools for chapters and affiliates.
Description
Enough of lofty promises and theoretical scenarios, let’s get practical! Artificial Intelligence tools will impact the production of human knowledge—and, of course, AI is more than Generative AI toys. In order to align it with the values of our movement and secure the sustainability of a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge, we need to make changes and take action!
Wikimedia Deutschland is working on various levels to deal with political, legal, educational, and technological aspects of AI from a Wikiverse perspective. In this session, we will present our work in progress in two areas: advocacy work and software development. We will introduce to you our target-group specific policy papers about the challenges of AI to fact-based knowledge and our effort of an advanced vector-based semantic search for Wikidata addressing the needs of the Open Source AI/ML community (and others).
We would like to narrow down the general conversation about the fallout of AI developments to our movement. Ideally, we can inspire other chapters and affiliates through our suite of building blocks and examples that are within reach for almost everyone.
- How does your session relate to the event theme, Wikimania@20 – Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability?
Our session emphasizes the need for tools and policies that support equitable access, diverse voices, and fact-based knowledge. We will visit how the world of AI affects inclusive environment where everyone can contribute and benefit from knowledge production. Our session goes beyond theoretical AI concerns to practical actions, such as advocacy efforts and software development. With AI-related policy papers and the Embedding Project for Wikidata, we are covering various aspects on how AI is impacting Free Knowledge. This includes development efforts with ethical, legal, and technological frameworks that promote Free Knowledge sharing for a future-proof approach.
- What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?
Average knowledge about Wikimedia projects or activities
Resources
Speakers
- Jens Ohlig
- An open and free internet and unrestricted access to everything that helps us understand how the world is connected has been driving Jens Ohlig for several decades. In 2012, he was part of the founding team of Wikidata. As a member of the board of Wikimedia Deutschland, he aims to advance ideas on how to achieve the greatest possible digital equity for everyone through the engagement of enthusiastic communities of volunteers and based on open technology. He can never decide whether to write biography blurbs in the first or third person singular.
- Friederike von Franqué
- I work in the Policy Team of Wikimedia Germany since 2022. My focus is EU and international policy, for example I represent the german civil society at the newly founded Internet Governance Forum Germany (IGF-D). My other focus is Disinformation and the positive role Wikipedia is playing in the information environment. Before Wikipedia, I spent more than a decade with stabilising a professional and democracy oriented information space that is supporting human rights, peace and democratic systems.
- jonathan.fraine@wikimedia.de
- Motivated by the need for authentic knowledge and information to remain relevant and impact humanity, I joined Wikimedia Deutschland as the Co-lead of Software Development and Chief Technology Officer in 2022. I work with seven product development teams dedicated to free knowledge dissemination, supporting Wikimedia Projects, encouraging volunteers, developing free software, and advocating for the human right to access to knowledge and education at all levels of society. In a world enveloped with disinformation, I find fulfilment working within the Wikimedia Movement to benefit civilisations, communities, and cultures around the world together.