Online encyclopedia ‘Ruviki,’ Russia’s equivalent to ‘Wikipedia,’ has announced plans to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) by the end of 2024. The news was revealed by Elena Litovchenko, Deputy Director General of ‘Ruviki,’ during the ‘New Media of a Multipolar World’ session at the SPIEF-2024. Litovchenko added that AI would make the encyclopedia more personalized for users.
“By the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025, we will demonstrate an update with artificial intelligence, and it will be a game-changer in terms of the perception of new encyclopedias,” said Elena Litovchenko. She added that even though ‘Ruviki’ is based on ‘Wikipedia’s’ ideas, the domestic resource will develop differently from an organizational and technological point of view.
According to Kirill Semenov, General Director of the ANO ‘National Center for Competencies in Information Systems Management Holding’, as far as ‘Ruviki’ is concerned, the integration of AI technology will have an indirect impact. It is likely to broaden the list of content providers and its consumer audience. Leonid Delitsyn, an analyst at FG ‘Finam,’ explained that the cost and implementation of AI technologies could significantly differ depending on whether the company purchases or develops them itself. He further elaborated that AI technologies in business models related to content provision paired with ad-based revenue have been mature and prevalent for two decades.
In a conversation with journalists, Elena Litovchenko mentioned that ‘Ruviki’ does not plan to introduce monetization for authors. Instead, the platform will encourage content creation through gamification. “Authors will earn ranks and prizes for certain actions – writing articles, making revisions, editing. This is primarily necessary for the development of the author’s community,” clarified Elena Litovchenko. Anyone can write an article for ‘Ruviki.’ Content review is handled by project partners or experts who have confirmed their status, including the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Historical Museum.
According to Litovchenko, ‘Ruviki’ currently has 3.5 million unique users per month with an ‘exponential’ growth in audience: there is a 20% increase in unique visitors each month. The platform recently crossed the mark of 2 million published articles. Financial analysts predict that ‘Ruviki’ will not be profitable in the near future, as its audience coverage scale doesn’t match ‘Wikipedia.’ For several more years, the primary focus of ‘Ruviki’ will likely remain on filling the platform with content.
