As of May 2023, Wikipedia is the largest online English encyclopedia, comprising approximately 4.3 billion words. With the advancement of digital technologies, and in particular, AI language models, the potential for even larger static online encyclopedias exists. A static online encyclopedia, as defined here, does not rely on dynamic generation of content (such as language models generating pages upon request), but instead, its content is prepared and remains relatively unchanging, at least at any particular moment in time.
Before May 1st, 2028, will there be an online English encyclopedia exceeding 15 billion words that can be considered a static compendium?
Resolution Criteria:
This question will resolve positively if, before May 1st, 2028, credible evidence indicates the existence of an online English encyclopedia meeting the following criteria:
Content: The encyclopedia includes entries on a broad range of topics, similar to those covered in established encyclopedias such as Wikipedia.
Volume: The total word count of the encyclopedia exceeds 15 billion words. The word count includes the body text of all articles, but excludes user comments, talk pages, editing history, and other non-article content.
Static Nature: The encyclopedia is not dynamically generated. Specifically, its content is not created or substantially altered on-the-fly in response to user queries or requests. It should instead comprise a fixed set of articles that can be viewed at any time, even though it may be updated or expanded over time.
Language: The content of the encyclopedia is primarily in English.
The evidence supporting a positive resolution could come in the form of a credible announcement or report from the organization maintaining the encyclopedia, a widely recognized third-party audit, or an analysis by a reputable media organization or academic institution.
If such evidence is provided before May 1st, 2028, the question will resolve positively. If no such evidence is provided by the deadline, the question will resolve negatively.
Please note:
If the encyclopedia is primarily composed of verbatim or near-verbatim copies of existing articles from other encyclopedias or sources without substantial new content, it will not be considered as meeting the criteria.
If the encyclopedia uses an AI to generate its content initially but the content remains static afterwards (i.e., it does not change in response to user queries), it could still meet the criteria.
If there is a dispute over the word count, a third-party audit or similar credible assessment will be used to determine the word count.