May 11, 2026 16:00:00

Internet Archive Switzerland, a non-profit foundation dedicated to preserving archives of digital content and generative AI, has been established.

The Internet Archive, a non-profit organization that stores websites and digital media, has reported that it will

have saved 1 trillion web pages by October 2025, demonstrating its vast collection and preservation of online content. The Internet Archive has now announced the establishment of a new non-profit foundation, ' Internet Archive Switzerland, ' and has partnered with the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland to set goals such as building a 'generative AI archive.'

Internet Archive Switzerland
https://internetarchive.ch/

Internet Archive Switzerland: Expanding a Global Mission to Preserve Knowledge | Internet Archive Blogs
https://blog.archive.org/2026/05/06/internet-archive-switzerland-expanding-a-global-mission-to-preserve-knowledge/

The Internet Archive Switzerland is a non-profit foundation based in St. Gallen, the central city of eastern Switzerland, and operates independently within the Swiss framework. The reason for choosing Switzerland is to leverage its neutrality, stability, and advanced infrastructure to protect endangered documents from damage.

As part of this initiative, Internet Archive Switzerland has partnered with the Department of Computer Science at the University of St. Gallen to work on the 'Gen AI Archive project,' which aims to archive AI models.

The Gen AI Archive project aims to preserve 'snapshots' of older versions of AI models that may disappear or change as they continue to evolve. These snapshots will store responses to questions, knowledge, behavior, and more. This will allow the archive to build a collective memory of AI, helping researchers, policymakers, and the general public understand how AI changes, and enabling long-term research into AI bias, reasoning, and societal impacts.

On the official website of the Internet Archive Switzerland, the purpose of its establishment is stated as follows: 'Our main goal is to realize 'universal access to all knowledge.' While digital content may seem to be growing without limit, in reality it faces various challenges, including changes in file formats, sudden failures of storage media, rapid data deletion, and a growing tendency to hide knowledge as paid content. All of these threaten easy access to information, learning, and fact-based opinion formation. Against this backdrop, the foundation launched two initiatives in its initial stages. One is to partner with the University of St. Gallen to build the Gen AI Archive project, which will preserve modern AI models for future generations. The other is to explore ways to preserve valuable collections that may be lost due to conflict, disaster, or oppression before they are lost.'

Roman Griesfelder, Executive Director of the Internet Archive Switzerland, said, 'St. Gallen is an ideal location to take the preservation of universal knowledge a step further. Here, stability and innovation coexist, and it is rooted in a deep understanding of the importance of cultural heritage.'