Grokipedia’s AI Approach Poses a Test to Wikipedia’s Human-Driven Objectivity

Elon Musk's xAI has introduced Grokipedia, an AI-driven encyclopedia designed to rival Wikipedia, igniting discussions about its potential to transform online knowledge curation. Powered by xAI's Grok chatbot and leveraging real-time data from Musk's X platform, Grokipedia pledges to deliver "truth without censorship." However, it has already faced criticism for perceived ideological slant and factual errors, according to a

.

Grokipedia's initial launch was postponed by Musk to "remove propaganda," and on its debut, the site experienced technical difficulties, briefly going offline before returning. Currently, it features close to 885,000 articles, many of which were originally sourced from Wikipedia under Creative Commons licensing, as a

highlighted. Musk presents Grokipedia as both a technological and ideological alternative to what he calls Wikipedia's "left-leaning" bias, but detractors argue it may instead amplify Musk's own political leanings. Early articles on subjects such as slavery, transgender rights, and the 1619 Project have been accused of minimizing systemic issues and promoting conservative viewpoints, Wired reported.

The Grokipedia article about Elon Musk himself is nearly 11,000 words long, focusing on his support for "multiplanetary life" and his criticism of "woke culture," while leaving out some of his more controversial remarks and actions, according to an

. In contrast, Wikipedia describes Grokipedia as exhibiting a "far-right bias," referencing articles that reflect Musk's public opinions, as Wired pointed out. Unlike Wikipedia's community-driven, volunteer-moderated system, Grokipedia uses Grok's AI to accept or reject user edits, a noted.

The Wikimedia Foundation, which oversees Wikipedia, responded by stressing its human-centered editorial process, noting that AI tools like Grok rely on the collective expertise of Wikipedia's contributors, as reported by the Times of India. "Wikipedia's advantages are clear: open policies, diligent volunteer review, and a commitment to ongoing improvement," a spokesperson told the Economic Times. Meanwhile, Grokipedia supporters, including far-right figures such as Russian thinker Alexander Dugin, commend its impartiality and claim Wikipedia's coverage of them is "unfair and slanderous," the Economic Times reported.

The impact of Grokipedia goes beyond just encyclopedia entries. Given Grok's reputation for producing politically sensitive or inaccurate content, there are concerns about how AI might influence public perceptions of history and science, a

observed. Although Musk maintains that Grokipedia will eventually remove human bias, early analysis shows that while 70% of its articles are consistent with neutral sources, politically sensitive topics tend to reflect conservative perspectives, according to a .

With the release of Grokipedia v1.0 approaching, its future hinges on whether users trust AI to deliver both speed and accuracy. For now, it stands as a contentious trial in algorithmic truth, questioning the very idea of neutrality in the digital era, Moneycontrol noted.