Anton Obozhyn on Wikipedia, AI, Cybersecurity, and State Pressure

Anton Obozhyn is a Kyiv-based Ukrainian programmer, Wikipedian, and Wikimedian. A computer-science graduate working in game development, he has edited Wikimedia projects since 2014 and joined Wikimedia Ukraine in 2017. He chaired its Audit Committee from 2017 to 2020, became a board member in 2020, and has served as deputy chair since 2024. He helps organize wikimarathons, workshops, conferences, article contests, and community-support initiatives advancing free knowledge in Ukraine through volunteer-led public outreach and training.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen interviews Anton Obozhyn about Wikipedia’s future amid artificial intelligence, cybersecurity threats, state pressure, and contributor safety. Obozhyn explains how large language models may reduce direct readership and future editor recruitment, while also enabling fabricated content at scale. He emphasizes Wikimedia’s focus on data integrity, editor anonymity, and resistance to government interference, citing risks for contributors in authoritarian contexts and examples from Belarus, China, Turkey, France, Russia, and Iran.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Do you think Wikipedia is stronger than ever or facing more challenges than ever, or both?

Anton Obozhyn: It is both. Wikipedia continues to be a major and influential source of information, but it is also facing new challenges.

One of the most significant challenges is the rise of artificial intelligence tools, particularly large language models. Many people who previously went directly to Wikipedia for information now turn to systems like ChatGPT or Google Gemini to get answers.

These systems often draw on information that originates from Wikipedia, but they present it directly to users. This creates an intermediary layer between readers and Wikipedia itself, which may reduce direct engagement with the platform and potentially affect the growth of new contributors.

Previously, when people visited Wikipedia to read articles, some of them eventually became editors. However, when users obtain information through intermediary systems, such as large language models, they may never visit the original Wikipedia pages. As a result, they may never become contributors. This is one of the challenges we are currently discussing and trying to address.

In the age of artificial intelligence, it has also become more difficult to distinguish between content written by humans and content generated by language models. It is now possible to produce articles that appear credible at first glance but contain entirely fabricated information. These texts may even include references that look plausible but are not reliable. Detecting and addressing such content is increasingly difficult.

Large language models can support constructive contributions, but they also make it easier to generate misleading or low-quality content at scale. This dual-use nature presents another challenge.

Jacobsen: What about cybersecurity? For example, recent developments in artificial intelligence have demonstrated capabilities beyond those of typical human hackers. Does this pose a threat to the infrastructure of Wikipedia and similar platforms?

Obozhyn: While this is an evolving area, I can say that maintaining the integrity and security of data is a high priority. Wikipedia has contributors from countries with limited political freedoms, including Russia, China, and Iran. Protecting their anonymity is essential, as exposure could place them at serious risk.

For this reason, safeguarding user data and preventing unauthorized access are critical responsibilities. Engineers working with the Wikimedia Foundation focus on ensuring that personal information remains secure and that systems are protected from external interference.

To my knowledge, there have not been major incidents involving breaches of sensitive user data within Wikipedia. There have been technical disruptions, such as issues caused by faulty scripts affecting server performance, but not significant leaks of private contributor information.

Jacobsen: What about intelligence services? Have they taken an interest in Wikipedia or its contributors?

Obozhyn: In many countries, including democratic ones, there have been instances where governments have attempted to influence Wikipedia. This can involve efforts to shape content or apply pressure to editors.

The Wikipedia community works to resist such interference and to protect its contributors. However, these pressures do exist, and managing them remains an ongoing concern.

There have been serious incidents. For example, during the 2020 protests in Belarus, some editors who contributed to articles about the events were reportedly identified and arrested. I do not know all the details, but it appears that certain editing patterns or personal traces may have exposed their identities.

There are also tensions between Wikipedia and some governments. For instance, access to Wikipedia is restricted in China, where it is generally accessible only through tools such as VPNs. There have also been access restrictions or disputes involving governments in Iran and Russia.

In Turkey, Wikipedia was blocked nationwide for several years, from 2017 until the ban was lifted following a ruling by the Constitutional Court in 2020.

Jacobsen: Did people still access it using VPNs?

Obozhyn: Yes, some users did, but governments employ various methods to influence both access and content, as well as to pressure contributors. That is a broader and complex issue.

There was also a notable case in France, where an editor wrote an article about a military installation using publicly available information. The French Ministry of Defense demanded the removal of the article and reportedly threatened legal consequences. However, this triggered what is known as the Streisand effect, public attention increased significantly, and the article was widely translated and shared.

Jacobsen: Thank you very much for the opportunity and your time, Anton.

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Scott Douglas Jacobsen is a Writer-Editor for The Good Men Project with more than 1,800 publications on the platform. He is the Founder and Publisher of In-Sight Publishing (ISBN: 978-1-0692343; 978-1-0673505) and Editor-in-Chief of In-Sight: Interviews (ISSN: 2369-6885). He writes for International Policy Digest (ISSN: 2332–9416), The Humanist (Print: ISSN, 0018-7399; Online: ISSN, 2163-3576), Basic Income Earth Network (UK Registered Charity 1177066), Humanist Perspectives (ISSN: 1719-6337), A Further Inquiry (SubStack), Vocal, Medium, The New Enlightenment Project, The Washington Outsider, rabble.ca, and other media. His bibliography index can be found via the Jacobsen Bank at In-Sight Publishing comprised of more than 10,000 articles, interviews, and republications, in more than 200 outlets. He has served in national and international leadership roles within humanist and media organizations, held several academic fellowships, and currently serves on several boards. He is a member in good standing in numerous media organizations, including the Canadian Association of Journalists, PEN Canada (CRA: 88916 2541 RR0001), and Reporters Without Borders (SIREN: 343 684 221/SIRET: 343 684 221 00041/EIN: 20-0708028), and others.