Elon Musk has launched his long-awaited Wikipedia rival, Grokipedia, hailing the AI-driven encyclopedia as “super important for civilization.” However, initial impressions suggest the platform may function as an echo chamber for right-wing talking points rather than a neutral information source.
The encyclopedia, which was planned for at least a month, is “fact-checked” by Grok, Musk’s AI chatbot. This model replaces the human volunteer authors and transparent editing process used by Wikipedia, a platform Musk frequently criticizes.
Musk’s attacks on Wikipedia are often focused on its use of “mainstream media” sources. In response, Grokipedia’s content appears to be programmed to reflect the conservative and far-right voices Musk promotes on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter).
A clear example of this bias is the entry on the January 6 Capitol riot. It validates the false narrative of “widespread claims of voting irregularities” and downplays Donald Trump’s role in inciting the event.
The AI-only model is also failing basic fact-checks. Journalists have already spotted significant inaccuracies, such as a false claim linking pornography to the worsening of the Aids epidemic, raising questions about the platform’s fundamental utility.
