Wikipedia cofounder Jimmy Wales has publicly criticized Elon Musk’s AI-powered encyclopedia rival, Grokipedia, raising concerns about trust, bias, and the use of artificial intelligence in creating encyclopedic content. In an interview with The Verge, Wales expressed skepticism about whether users would trust an encyclopedia “that has a thumb on the scales,” drawing a sharp distinction between his collaborative approach to Wikipedia and Musk’s more autocratic leadership style.
Musk launched Grokipedia in October 2024 after years of accusing Wikipedia of left-wing bias. The platform uses xAI’s large language model, Grok, for writing and editing entries. However, Wales pointed to a fundamental problem with this approach: AI hallucinations. “I use large language models a lot and I know about the hallucination problem, and I see it all the time,” Wales said. “Large language models really aren’t good enough to write an encyclopedia.”
The controversy extends beyond technical limitations to questions of editorial bias. Business Insider identified significant political differences between Wikipedia and Grokipedia entries, particularly on contentious topics like the January 6 Capitol Riots and the 2014 Gamergate controversy. Reports suggest that Grokipedia’s entries “agree with Elon Musk’s political views,” raising concerns about the platform’s neutrality.
Wales highlighted the difference in leadership approaches: when he disagrees with Wikipedia content, he opens a conversation with the community. In contrast, Musk has a documented history of making top-down decisions, including ordering Twitter’s algorithm to prioritize his own posts more frequently during his takeover of the platform.
Despite the criticism, Grokipedia appears to be growing. The platform has evolved from “v0.1” to “v0.2” since November, with its article count increasing from 885,279 at launch to over 1 million articles. However, this still pales in comparison to Wikipedia’s more than 7 million articles. Interestingly, some Grokipedia pages are nearly identical to Wikipedia entries, as the platform scrapes content from Wikipedia’s openly available database.
Musk has expressed grand ambitions for Grokipedia, calling it the “modern-day Library of Alexandria” and stating his intention to eventually send it to deep space. The project represents Musk’s latest foray into the AI space through his company xAI, competing directly with one of the internet’s most established and trusted information sources.
Key Quotes
I think a lot of the criticism that it’s getting is not surprising to me. I also think in terms of the question of trust, I’m not sure anybody’s going to trust an encyclopedia that has a thumb on the scales.
Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia cofounder, expressed skepticism about Grokipedia’s credibility in an interview with The Verge. This statement directly challenges the neutrality of Musk’s AI-powered encyclopedia and questions whether users will trust a platform perceived as biased.
I use large language models a lot and I know about the hallucination problem, and I see it all the time. Large language models really aren’t good enough to write an encyclopedia.
Wales highlighted a fundamental technical limitation of using AI for encyclopedic content. Despite being familiar with LLM technology, he argues that current AI systems lack the reliability necessary for creating trustworthy reference material, pointing to the persistent problem of AI hallucinations.
It’s Elon, but that might not be what we all want from an encyclopedia.
Wales succinctly captured concerns about Grokipedia reflecting Musk’s personal political views rather than maintaining editorial neutrality. This quote underscores the broader debate about whether AI-powered information platforms can truly be objective when controlled by individuals with strong political positions.
Our Take
The clash between Wikipedia and Grokipedia represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of AI-powered information systems. Wales’ criticism goes beyond competitive rivalry—it raises fundamental questions about whether current AI technology is mature enough for mission-critical applications like encyclopedias. The hallucination problem he references isn’t trivial; it’s a core limitation that undermines trust in AI-generated content.
What’s particularly revealing is the contrast in governance models: Wikipedia’s community-driven approach versus Musk’s top-down control. This mirrors broader debates in AI development about centralized versus distributed decision-making. Musk’s track record of personal intervention in his companies’ operations suggests Grokipedia may struggle to achieve the perceived neutrality that encyclopedias require. The irony is striking: Musk launched Grokipedia to combat Wikipedia’s alleged bias, yet his platform faces even stronger accusations of political slant. This case study will likely influence how future AI-powered knowledge platforms are designed and governed.
Why This Matters
This story highlights critical questions about AI’s role in information curation and the trustworthiness of AI-generated content. As large language models become more sophisticated, the temptation to use them for creating encyclopedic knowledge grows, but Wales’ criticism underscores a fundamental problem: AI hallucinations and bias remain significant obstacles to reliable information systems.
The Grokipedia controversy also illustrates the broader tension between traditional, community-driven platforms and AI-powered alternatives backed by tech billionaires. Musk’s approach represents a shift toward centralized, AI-driven content creation that could reshape how people access information online.
For the AI industry, this serves as a cautionary tale about deploying LLMs in high-stakes applications where accuracy and neutrality are paramount. The debate over Grokipedia’s political bias demonstrates that AI systems inevitably reflect the values and preferences of their creators, raising important questions about AI governance, transparency, and accountability. As AI tools increasingly compete with established information sources, public trust will become the decisive factor in determining which platforms succeed.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/wikipedia-cofounder-jimmy-wales-elon-musk-grokipedia-ai-2025-12