Wikipedia has officially enacted a policy banning the use of Large Language Models (LLMs) for generating or rewriting article content on its English platform. The decision, finalized on March 23, 2026, concludes a long-standing debate within the community regarding the integration of AI tools.
The new regulations strictly prohibit the creation of article text using AI models. The primary concern driving this decision is the tendency of LLMs to alter the meaning of text or introduce information that is not supported by cited sources. By enforcing this ban, the organization aims to protect the encyclopedia's reliability and accuracy.
Specific Exemptions
Despite the strict prohibition on content generation, the policy outlines two critical exceptions where AI assistance remains permitted:
- Writing Refinement: Editors may use LLMs to suggest improvements or refinements to their own writing. In this context, AI is treated similarly to advanced grammar-checking tools. However, human editors remain responsible for verifying that the AI's suggestions do not distort the original meaning.
- Translation Assistance: LLMs are allowed to assist with translating text. This exception requires that the editor be fluent in both the source and target languages to ensure the translated content is accurate and free of errors.
Scope of Application
It is important to note that this policy applies exclusively to the English Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org). Each language version of the encyclopedia operates independently with its own set of guidelines. For instance, the Spanish Wikipedia has implemented its own rules banning the creation of new articles from scratch using AI, though it handles editing assistance differently than the English site.
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