Study Questions Reliability of Elon Musk’s Grokipedia Sources

Elon Musk’s new AI-powered encyclopedia, Grokipedia, has come under scrutiny for its reliance on “questionable” sources, according to research from Cornell Tech. The study, released on October 6, 2023, raises significant concerns about the credibility of Grokipedia as a reliable information resource. Launched just last month by Musk’s company, xAI, Grokipedia aims to rival the well-established Wikipedia, which has faced accusations of ideological bias from Musk and others within the American right.

Researchers Harold Triedman and Alexios Mantzarlis analyzed hundreds of thousands of articles on Grokipedia. They concluded that the platform lacks sufficient sourcing guidelines, resulting in a higher prevalence of potentially unreliable sources. The study highlights that Grokipedia’s entries, particularly those related to political figures and controversial subjects, frequently cite outlets known for misinformation.

One striking example noted in the report is Grokipedia’s entry on the “Clinton body count,” a conspiracy theory linking the deaths of various individuals to former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton. This entry cites InfoWars, a far-right website infamous for spreading misinformation. The study also identified citations from other right-wing media outlets in the United States and India, as well as Chinese and Iranian state media, which are often criticized for their reliability and editorial standards.

The report emphasizes that Grokipedia does not qualify the reliability of these sources. It found that articles not attributed to Wikipedia are significantly more likely to reference sources deemed “generally unreliable” by the Wikipedia community. Specifically, such articles are 3.2 times more likely to include these dubious sources and 13 times more likely to reference a “blacklisted” source blocked by Wikipedia.

In response to a request for comment, xAI provided an auto-response stating, “Legacy Media Lies.” Musk has previously stated that Grokipedia aims to present “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” On October 5, 2023, Musk announced plans to rebrand Grokipedia as “Encyclopedia Galactica” when it reaches a satisfactory level of quality.

Musk, who is known for his substantial financial contributions to political campaigns, including those for former President Donald Trump, has criticized Wikipedia, urging his followers to cease donations to the site, which he has labeled “Wokepedia.” In a recent interview with the BBC Science Focus podcast, Wikipedia’s founder, Jimmy Wales, rejected claims of left-wing bias as “factually incorrect.” He acknowledged the need for improvement within Wikipedia’s volunteer community.

Selena Deckelmann, chief product and technology officer at the Wikimedia Foundation, emphasized the differences between Wikipedia and Grokipedia. She stated, “Unlike Grokipedia, which relies on rapid AI-generated content with limited transparency and oversight, Wikipedia’s processes are open to public review.” Deckelmann highlighted that Wikipedia’s community-driven model is crucial for maintaining neutrality and trustworthiness, ensuring that no single individual or agenda can dominate the content.

As Grokipedia continues to develop, the implications for information accuracy and reliability remain significant, especially in an era where misinformation can spread rapidly across digital platforms. The findings from Cornell Tech serve as a critical reminder of the importance of sourcing and editorial integrity in any information repository.