SAN FRANCISCO, California — Tech billionaire Elon Musk has launched Grokipedia, a new online encyclopedia that he claims will promote “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” positioning it as a direct challenger to Wikipedia.
Musk announced the site’s launch on social media, saying Grokipedia.com is “now live.” The platform, described as a crowdsourced encyclopedia, comes after months of Musk criticizing Wikipedia for what he calls “propaganda” and “political bias.” He had previously urged people to stop donating to the Wikimedia Foundation, which operates Wikipedia.
The minimalist Grokipedia website features only a search bar and states that it currently hosts 885,279 articles. Wikipedia, by comparison, has more than seven million English-language entries. Like its rival, Grokipedia allows users to search for articles on a wide range of topics, from global events to pop culture.
It remains unclear how Grokipedia content is created or curated. Reports indicate that it may rely on Musk’s xAI technology, the same artificial intelligence model that powers his Grok chatbot. Observers have noted that some Grokipedia articles appear to be adapted from Wikipedia content.
In a statement, the San Francisco-based Wikimedia Foundation said it is “still in the process of understanding how Grokipedia works.” The foundation emphasized that Wikipedia’s open, volunteer-driven model has long been a vital resource for both readers and AI developers.
“This human-created knowledge is what AI companies rely on to generate content; even Grokipedia needs Wikipedia to exist,” the organization said.
Wikipedia has recently faced scrutiny from political groups, particularly from conservative lawmakers in the United States who allege that bias exists in its editing process. In August, members of Congress opened an investigation into claims of “manipulation” in Wikipedia’s content moderation.
Wikipedia’s editorial process requires that nearly every statement be backed by a verifiable source, and unverified material can be removed. In contrast, some Grokipedia entries appear lightly sourced. For instance, its article on the Chola Dynasty of southern India lists three sources, while Wikipedia’s version cites more than 100 references and multiple scholarly works.
Grokipedia’s own entry about Wikipedia accuses the older site of harboring “systemic ideological biases” and a “left-leaning slant” in political coverage.
Responding to Musk’s project, the Wikimedia Foundation defended its long-standing editorial principles. “Unlike newer projects, Wikipedia’s strengths are clear: it has transparent policies, rigorous volunteer oversight, and a strong culture of continuous improvement,” it said. “Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, written to inform billions of readers without promoting a particular point of view.”
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- EDGARDO HERNAL
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