Researchers Critique Elon Musk’s Grokipedia for Questionable Sources

Elon Musk’s Grokipedia has come under scrutiny for its reliance on “questionable” sources, according to a study released by researchers at Cornell Tech. This finding raises significant concerns regarding the reliability of the AI-powered encyclopedia, which launched in February 2024 as a competitor to Wikipedia. The study analyzed hundreds of thousands of articles from Grokipedia and highlighted a trend of citing sources deemed problematic by established standards.

Researchers Harold Triedman and Alexios Mantzarlis emphasized that “sourcing guardrails have largely been lifted” on Grokipedia, leading to the inclusion of unreliable sources across various topics. Their report notes that the trend is particularly pronounced in articles related to elected officials and contentious political issues. For example, Grokipedia’s entry on the “Clinton body count,” a discredited conspiracy theory, cites the far-right website InfoWars, known for spreading misinformation.

The findings indicate that Grokipedia frequently references a range of sources that include right-wing media outlets from both the United States and India, as well as state-run media from countries like China and Iran. Additionally, some articles reference sites accused of promoting antisemitic, anti-Muslim, or anti-immigration narratives, along with those known for pseudoscience and conspiracy theories. The researchers pointed out that Grokipedia fails to qualify the reliability of these sources in its citations.

Concerns Over Content Integrity

The study revealed that Grokipedia articles often replicate text from Wikipedia, which it aims to surpass. Articles not attributed to Wikipedia are reported to be 3.2 times more likely to cite sources considered “generally unreliable” by the English Wikipedia community. Furthermore, Grokipedia articles are 13 times more likely to include “blacklisted” sources, which are blocked by Wikipedia.

In response to an inquiry from Agence France-Presse (AFP), xAI, the company behind Grokipedia, provided an automated reply stating, “Legacy Media Lies.” Musk, who is known for his outspoken views, previously stated that Grokipedia’s mission is to deliver “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” He has announced plans to rebrand Grokipedia as “Encyclopedia Galactica” when it meets his standards.

Musk, who has invested heavily in conservative political campaigns, has criticized Wikipedia for what he perceives as a left-wing bias. In 2023, he encouraged his followers on social media to cease donations to Wikipedia, referring to it as “Wokepedia.”

Wikipedia’s Commitment to Transparency

Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, recently addressed accusations of bias in an interview, labeling them as “factually incorrect.” He acknowledged that while there are areas for improvement within Wikipedia’s volunteer community, the platform’s processes allow for public scrutiny and accountability.

Selena Deckelmann, the chief product and technology officer at the Wikimedia Foundation, highlighted the importance of transparency in maintaining the credibility of an encyclopedia. She noted that Wikipedia’s commitment to openness ensures that “no single individual, company, or agenda can exert influence over the work.”

The contrasting approaches of Grokipedia and Wikipedia underscore ongoing debates about information reliability in the digital age. As users increasingly seek trustworthy sources, the integrity of content on platforms like Grokipedia will likely continue to be a topic of discussion.