Wikimedia Bandwidth Explodes: AI Training Bots to Blame

Wikimedia Foundation reports a 50% bandwidth increase since January 2024, primarily due to AI training bots scraping its openly licensed content. This surge in bot traffic, exceeding even spikes from high-profile events like Jimmy Carter's death, threatens to slow down access for human users. The bots disproportionately access less frequently used pages, straining Wikimedia's infrastructure. The foundation, reliant on donations, faces increasing costs and is exploring sustainable solutions for AI developers to access its content while ensuring the continued accessibility of its resources for everyone.