Wikimedia Technology Summit 2024 held in Hyderabad, focuses on inclusivity and innovation

HYDERABAD: The Wikimedia Technology Summit 2024 successfully took place from October 3 to 5, drawing a vibrant gathering of technologists, developers, and volunteers from across India.

The event was co-hosted by the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Hyderabad, with support from the Indic MediaWiki Developers User Group and the Wikimedia Foundation. The summit featured a Hackathon on the IIIT Hyderabad campus, followed by sessions at Hotel Hyatt Gachibowli.

Titled 'Wiki Tech for All: Empowering Voices, Expanding Horizons', the summit focused on enhancing inclusivity within Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, particularly for smaller language communities. The three-day event brought together over 130 participants, including developers, researchers, and WikiClub students from various colleges. These attendees explored the latest trends and innovations in open-source technology and collaborated on enhancing Wikimedia’s offerings for diverse communities.

Prof Radhika Mamidi, Associate Professor at IIIT Hyderabad, remarked on the success of the event, saying, "The Wikimedia Technology Summit 2024 is yet another step in our ongoing journey to uplift technological support for Indic-language communities and beyond. We are deeply thankful to all speakers, participants, and supporters who contributed to this initiative."

Day 1 featured a panel discussion on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), with experts from AI4Bharat, BITS Pilani, CIS, IIIT Hyderabad, and Microsoft sharing insights. Other sessions covered the use of OpenStreetMap for real-time updates during a recent crisis in Kerala and the development of content in indigenous languages, highlighting the power of technology to preserve cultural identity—echoing Steve Jobs' sentiment, "Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have faith in people."

The second day of the summit emphasized closing the gender gap in technology used by Wikimedia communities, with workshops on topics like mobile editing, voice-activated tools, and script development for Indian languages. As Prof Vasudeva Varma, Head of the Language Technologies Research Centre at IIIT Hyderabad, noted, "This summit exemplifies the power of collaboration and passion in advancing open-source knowledge sharing."

The event culminated in the Hackathon Showcase, where participants presented innovative solutions and tool enhancements for Wikimedia projects. The discussions on the future of the Wikimedia movement resonated with its mission to make knowledge accessible to all— a cause akin to George Orwell’s view, "The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it."

The Wikimedia Technology Summit 2024 stands as a milestone for the Wikimedia community in India, with its focus on inclusivity, innovation, and the future of open-source technology, especially in Indic languages.