Wikipedia is a great project. It provides free information to all of humanity. This is invaluable, especially in developing countries. I have written over 500 Wikipedia articles myself and also done charity work in Africa, where I always “promote” Wikipedia to local teachers, schoolchildren, students, farmers, etc. There, Wikipedia offers a free and easy way to access a huge amount of information. The majority of Africans already have a smartphone. Wikipedia is a treasure trove of collective knowledge that is constantly improving itself. There could be no better encyclopedia. I believe that knowledge changes the world for the better, people are basically good and when they know what is right, they also want to act right. Evil arises from ignorance.
Wikipedia is a project that greatly increases knowledge in the world, especially among young people. The next generations change the world. It is often more difficult to change the values of middle-aged people. I belong to the party on Wikipedia that sees it as important for Wikipedia to promote good values and a better world.
According to Plato, knowledge is a well-founded, true assumption. The conditions of knowledge include that it is true and when it is true, it can be enormously useful. Knowledge is a resource and one of the most important. Previously, the business world did not realize the full potential of knowledge. Today, both states and companies invest huge sums in acquiring information. Knowledge is used to enrich people and win wars. Information technology has changed the meaning of the entire world and information. AI is both a threat and an opportunity. It is important to teach AI to be ethical using ethical algorithms.
Knowledge is power, said Francis Bacon in the 17th century. Knowledge gives you the opportunity to influence and control. That is why the amount of disinformation on the Internet is perhaps greater than the amount of real information. Social media in particular provides a channel to spread disinformation and manipulate people. Companies want to manipulate people into buying and consuming more than the Earth’s carrying capacity can support. Politicians strive to get votes and state actors strive to control and direct their citizens. This is reminiscent in many ways of the dystopia of Orwell’s novel 1984. With AI and data processing, it is inevitable that the one with the greatest computing power and capacity for data processing will succeed the most.
It is important to guide information and its acquisition and processing by values. The former rector of the University of Helsinki stated: “The most important task of a university is to raise good citizens.” Information without values is very dangerous. Information in good hands creates a better future.