The Wikimedia Foundation has launched an experimental ChatGPT Chrome extension called “Citation Needed.” This tool leverages ChatGPT and Wikipedia to validate the accuracy of content found on websites.
Users have the option to install the extension, input their OpenAI API key, and choose sentences to verify while surfing the internet.
The extension will search for appropriate Wikipedia articles and sections, provide corresponding citations, and utilize ChatGPT to assess whether the Wikipedia information backs up the statement.
The extension displays the initial claim to the user along with links to relevant Wikipedia articles, a citation for support, indications of the article’s quality, and an evaluation of whether Wikipedia supports the claim.
The Wikimedia Foundation is experimenting to analyze the interest of web users in fact-checking content, their perception of Wikipedia’s reliability as a source, and the potential to attract new audiences to Wikipedia. Additionally, the experiment aims to assess the effectiveness of AI in searching and evaluating Wikipedia content.
At the moment, the trial is restricted to English and Chrome users. The aim is to promptly gauge interest in comparing web material with Wikipedia before committing additional resources.
If there is substantial interest, it will be developed into a comprehensive product for other languages. The trial will continue until June.
You can find the Citation Needed extension on the Chrome Store, and its open-source code is hosted on GitLab.
This Wikipedia ChatGPT chrome extension is created by the Future Audiences team at the Wikimedia Foundation. It is a continuation of an initial ChatGPT project that Wikimedia discontinued in February, just six months after its debut in July 2023.
The plugin was created to study how large language models (LLMs) affect Wikipedia’s traffic and funding model, and to discover innovative methods for engaging with and editing Wikipedia content.
The research revealed that ChatGPT did not notably influence the general public’s internet usage, as the plugin predominantly attracted middle-aged males from North America and Europe.
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