"Wikipedia has grown into the most extensive knowledge repository in human history. Yet, it is no different from a book written in 1911."

Sandi Toksvig, a renowned British comedian and author, made these remarks on the 10th (local time) at the world-famous Cheltenham Literature Festival in the UK. She pointed out that today's information trends on Wikipedia are not much different from 1910s books that listed glove-washing or church-decorating methods as useful information for women.

"Wikipedia exhibits an attitude that ignores women," she emphasized, stressing the need to break away from a white, male-centric mindset. To address this, she is leading "Mapping Mundi" at the University of Cambridge, a project building an alternative encyclopedia and digital world map.

This critical awareness aligns with her life of listening to the voices of minorities across broadcasting, literature, and politics.

Ranked as a British "national presenter," Toksvig began her broadcast career in the 1980s with children's programs. In recognition of her contributions to the broadcasting industry, she received the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2014. Her 40-year career extends far beyond broadcasting; she has authored over 20 books including novels, plays, children's books, and essays, and served as the president of the Society of Authors. In 2015, she entered politics by co-founding the Women's Equality Party.

Having worked across diverse fields, Toksvig has long maintained an interest in the rights of marginalized groups. In 1994, while active as a broadcaster, she publicly came out. Recalling that time at the literature festival, she stated, "Because hate crimes of all kinds, including homophobia, are on the rise, I must step forward and speak out."

Her criticism of Wikipedia is an extension of this lifelong concern. Born in 2001, Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia where anyone can write and edit information, but Toksvig points out biases in this operating model. Noting that "most people with both the time and technical accessibility [to contribute] are middle-aged white men living in Europe," she stated that "85% of the knowledge accumulated in the English-language sphere has been written by or is about white men."

According to estimates by the Wikimedia Foundation, biographies of women account for only 19% of all registered biographical profiles on Wikipedia. Toksvig pointed out that this is not because women participate less in the public sphere, but rather because "different standards are applied to women and men."

"Mapping Mundi," the alternative online encyclopedia being developed by Toksvig, is an attempt to correct this imbalance of knowledge. She expressed her hope that Mapping Mundi will become a place where "vast amounts of knowledge that have been marginalized or erased are gathered." As the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) grows, accumulating knowledge without bias has become even more critical. "AI is collecting severely biased data," she warned. "If left unchecked, AI will establish knowledge while excluding about 50% of the world's population."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]