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ChatGPT and AI tools eclipse community knowledge-sharing platforms

Published: 31 May. 2025, 07:00

The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen which displays output from ChatGPT on March 21, 2023. [AP/YONHAP]

Once heralded as the future of collaborative information sharing, online knowledge platforms like Wikipedia and Naver Knowledge iN are rapidly losing ground to generative AI.

The rise of conversational AI, especially ChatGPT, is reshaping how people seek information — often bypassing community-driven platforms altogether.

What's going on?

According to data from Stack Overflow, a developer Q&A platform, released Thursday, users posted only 16,207 questions between May 1 and 26, a dramatic drop from the platform’s 2023 monthly average of 65,787.

Founded in September 2008, Stack Overflow earned a reputation among developers as a go-to site for practical coding advice.

Lee Jun-seok, now a presidential candidate for the minor Reform Party, drew public attention to the platform in Korea by introducing it as “the only online community I use” in a 2022 social media post.

At its peak around 2022, the platform saw nearly 200,000 posts per month. But usage began to slide soon after OpenAI released ChatGPT in November that year. By late 2023, monthly posts had fallen to around 99,202.

Wikipedia webpage in use on a laptop computer is seen in this photo illustration taken in Washington on Jan. 17, 2012. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

What about the others?

Wikipedia, often called the “modern encyclopedia,” has also seen a substantial decline in traffic.

The website lost more than a billion visits over the past three years, according to research firm DataReportal. Its daily visitors dropped from 165 million in March 2022 to 128 million in March this year.

Chegg, a U.S.-based educational platform, has experienced similar challenges. Chegg’s traffic fell by 51 percent since 2022, according to data analytics firm SimilarWeb.

In a May 2023 earnings call, then-CEO Dan Rosensweig acknowledged that ChatGPT was discouraging new users. He was later replaced as the company continued to struggle with declining performance.

Naver’s Q&A service, Knowledge iN [NAVER]

How about Korea?

The trend is no different in Korea. Naver’s Q&A service, Knowledge iN, recorded 15.48 million questions last year, down from 24.59 million in 2022.

The decline has continued into 2025. In January, the platform saw 1.25 million questions posted, but that number dropped to just 930,000 in April.

In an attempt to adapt, Naver integrated an AI auto-response feature into the service in November 2024. However, the company has yet to see meaningful results from the move.

Why is this a big deal?

Experts say AI’s immediacy is a key reason traditional platforms are struggling to compete. Unlike forums that rely on others to respond, AI provides instant answers.

“AI even understands the intent behind questions and responds immediately,” said Kim Joo-ho, a computer science professor at KAIST. “It’s like turning on a faucet — knowledge just flows.”

This shift reflects a broader trend known as the “zero-click” phenomenon. Previously, users would browse through search results and click into multiple sites. Now, AI delivers answers directly, eliminating that step.

The ripple effect is already visible. A February report by consulting firm Bain & Company, titled “Goodbye Clicks, Hello AI,” found that up to 60 percent of search engine users were satisfied with AI-generated answers. As a result, click-through traffic fell by as much as 25 percent.

What's next?

Some experts warn of unintended consequences from the decline of knowledge-sharing platforms. When users passively consume information without going through the process of searching and comparing sources, the risk of information bias increases.

“AI responses are based on statistical patterns and tend to reflect majority opinions,” said Prof. Kim. “For complex issues like politics and social policy, we still need human judgment.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY OH HYEON-WOO [[email protected]]