With the growing use of artificial intelligence to find relevant and reliable information, the role of Wikipedia in the information ecosystem is changing, but its importance is not diminishing. On the contrary, it has become one of the key digital environments for the online reputation of companies, institutions and managers.
For years, Wikipedia has been among the top results in search engines when people look for a company or an individual. This means it often represents the first piece of information the public encounters. For this reason, it directly contributes to shaping the digital identity of organisations and leaders.
What changes for Wikipedia with AI and GEO
Many AI systems use Wikipedia as one of their main reference sources. The encyclopedia is included in the training datasets of LLMs (Large Language Models), machine learning models capable of understanding and generating text in human language and, according to some analyses, it is the most cited source by ChatGPT (7.8% of the analysed citations).
In other words, what is written on Wikipedia does not only influence those who read the encyclopedia directly, but also the answers generated by AI assistants. For this reason, monitoring and understanding Wikipedia is becoming increasingly relevant within a Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) perspective: ensuring that accurate, well-sourced information is available on authoritative platforms can influence how organisations are represented in AI-generated answers.
Reputation mediated by AI
At the same time, the way users access information is changing. AI-generated answers in search engines now reach more than one billion people and reduce the number of clicks towards traditional search results and towards Wikipedia, which has recorded a noticeable drop in daily visits between 2022 and 2025 (-23%), although it remains firmly among the ten most visited websites in the world.
This means that information published online can be summarised, reinterpreted and distributed by algorithms on a large scale. As we often observe in our work:
“An inaccurate piece of information on the page dedicated to your company or your CEO today may become tomorrow the most widespread version in AI-generated responses.”
Ignoring Wikipedia is even more risky for your reputation
The Lundquist Observatory on Wikipedia and reputation also highlights how many corporate entries present recurring issues: weak or self-referential sources, outdated information, incomplete sections or obsolete data.
Weaknesses that in the past might have remained marginal now risk being amplified precisely because Wikipedia also feeds AI systems.
At the same time, the encyclopedia retains its fundamental characteristics: it is built by a global community of volunteers and is based on clear principles such as neutrality, freedom, verifiability of sources and consensus among editors. It cannot therefore be considered a corporate communication channel: it is a shared knowledge space.
For companies this means something simple: Wikipedia cannot be controlled, but it is possible to collaborate with editors to ensure that the information is accurate, well sourced and up to date.
Our contribution: a structured approach that respects community rules
For over 18 years, Lundquist has supported companies and top managers precisely along this path. We analyse the Wikipedia ecosystem, assess reputational risks and develop strategies to improve the quality of content and build dialogue with the community, in full respect of the rules of the free encyclopedia.
If you are interested in improving the Wikipedia page dedicated to your organisation or its key people, contact us. We will be happy to evaluate your case together.
