Researchers Question Credibility of Elon Musk’s Grokipedia

Elon Musk’s newly launched Grokipedia is under scrutiny following a study that identifies numerous citations from “questionable” sources. Researchers from Cornell Tech reported on October 20, 2023, that the AI-powered encyclopedia, aimed at rivaling Wikipedia, raises concerns over its reliability as an information resource.

The study analyzed hundreds of thousands of articles from Grokipedia, which Musk’s company xAI introduced last month. The researchers, Harold Triedman and Alexios Mantzarlis, emphasized that the “sourcing guardrails” for Grokipedia appear to be significantly less stringent. They noted a troubling trend, especially regarding politically sensitive topics and public figures.

One notable example highlighted was Grokipedia’s entry on the “Clinton body count,” a conspiracy theory linking the deaths of several individuals to former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton. This entry references InfoWars, a far-right platform known for disseminating misinformation. The report pointed out that Grokipedia frequently cites various sources, including right-wing media outlets from the United States and India, as well as state-run media from China and Iran.

The study concluded that Grokipedia often fails to qualify the reliability of the sources it cites. Articles not directly attributed to Wikipedia are found to be 3.2 times more likely to reference sources deemed “generally unreliable” by the Wikipedia community. Furthermore, they are 13 times more prone to include sources that Wikipedia has blacklisted.

In response to inquiries from AFP, xAI provided an auto-generated reply stating, “Legacy Media Lies.” Musk, known as the world’s richest individual and a prominent supporter of Donald Trump, has stated that Grokipedia aims to present “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

Future Plans for Grokipedia

Musk recently announced plans to rebrand Grokipedia as “Encyclopedia Galactica” once it meets his standards for quality. He encouraged his followers on X to contribute to what he describes as a sci-fi version of the Library of Alexandria.

The billionaire and his supporters have frequently criticized Wikipedia, asserting that it is biased against conservative viewpoints. In a move to rally his followers, Musk previously urged them to cease donations to Wikipedia, labeling it “Wokepedia.”

Wikipedia’s founder, Jimmy Wales, has dismissed claims of left-wing bias as “factually incorrect.” He noted in a recent interview that there are indeed areas for improvement within the platform’s volunteer community.

In contrast to Grokipedia’s rapid AI-generated content, Selena Deckelmann, chief product and technology officer at the Wikimedia Foundation, emphasized that Wikipedia’s processes are open to public scrutiny. She stated, “It is precisely this deliberate openness and community model that upholds the neutrality and trustworthiness essential for a global encyclopedia.”

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