Elon Musk has launched Grokipedia, an AI-driven encyclopedia he claims is “super important for civilization.” However, the new platform is already under fire for promoting falsehoods, including debunked lies about the 2020 election, and aligning with a distinct right-wing ideology.
Grokipedia operates without any human authors, distinguishing itself from the volunteer-led model of Wikipedia. Musk, who owns the AI chatbot Grok, has designated it as the sole “fact-checker” for the encyclopedia, a decision that is drawing scrutiny.
Musk’s goal is to create an alternative to information sources he regularly attacks, such as Wikipedia, the New York Times, and NPR. He has actively steered his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to amplify conservative voices, and Grokipedia is the next phase of that effort.
The platform’s bias is immediately apparent. Its coverage of the January 6 insurrection on the Capitol cites “widespread claims of voting irregularities”—a lie central to Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the election. The entry also minimizes Trump’s role in inciting the riot.
The AI-written entry frames the insurrection as a “dispute,” suggesting it could be a “legitimate expression of grievances” against “perceived electoral flaws.” Critics have also pointed to other inaccuracies, such as a false link between pornography and the Aids epidemic, raising serious doubts about the reliability of Grok’s “fact-checking.”
