Wikimedia Foundation reports shift in user consumption due to AI

The Wikimedia Foundation is observing a shift in how internet users consume information, driven largely by the rise of artificial intelligence. According to the ‘Global Trends 2026’ report, users are moving away from reading long-form text and are instead limiting themselves to the beginnings of articles or short video formats.

AI-driven search summaries allow users to access information without clicking through to original sources. This trend has contributed to traffic declines of 20% to 60% for various internet content publishers, with smaller publishers being the most affected. Wikipedia and other major publishers have also noted decreases in traditional user engagement as people increasingly rely on AI to provide quick, simplified answers rather than engaging in deep reading.