Elon Musk’s AI company xAI has launched Grokipedia as a supposed alternative to Wikipedia — a platform Musk has often criticized as being too “woke.” But according to reports from The Verge, many of Grokipedia’s entries appear to be taken almost directly from Wikipedia, sometimes word for word.
Some pages even acknowledge this, stating that their content is adapted from Wikipedia under a Creative Commons license. Entries on everyday topics like Monday, Apple, and the PlayStation 5 look nearly identical to their Wikipedia versions.
Where differences do appear, critics say they often seem ideological. For example, Grokipedia’s climate change entry reportedly removes language emphasizing the scientific consensus on human-caused global warming. Its page on Donald Trump omits several recent controversies, while Musk’s own entry leaves out widely reported incidents from earlier this year.
Wired also highlighted more troubling changes, including a section in Grokipedia’s article on US slavery that discusses “ideological justifications” for enslavement, and another entry that links gay pornography to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Even Grokipedia’s article about Wikipedia claims the site has a “left-leaning slant” in its coverage. In response, Wikimedia Foundation spokesperson Lauren Dickinson said Grokipedia wouldn’t exist without Wikipedia, emphasizing that Wikipedia’s strength comes from transparent policies, volunteer oversight, and human collaboration.