Two years after attempting to influence Wikipedia, Elon Musk, owner of X, announced the creation of Grokipedia, a new online encyclopedia intended to compete with the free and widely used platform.
Musk's announcement follows public criticism of Wikipedia by David Sacks, a tech entrepreneur, investor, and White House tech czar. Sacks described the platform as biased and maintained by what he called "an army of left-wing activists," adding that its prominence in Google search results and use in training AI models "is a huge problem."
In a post on X, Musk described Grokipedia as "a massive improvement over Wikipedia" and framed it as part of his AI company xAI's broader goal of "understanding the Universe." Musk, who also owns the AI app Grok, said that Grokipedia will leverage insights from xAI's technologies while offering an alternative to Wikipedia's current model.
Social media reaction was mixed. Some users suggested that Musk should acquire Wikipedia rather than launch a new platform, while others criticized the project. One commenter suggested Grok should not rely on Wikipedia for any data.
Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur behind SpaceX and Tesla, became more visible in tech and social media after acquiring Twitter in November 2022 and renaming it X. The following year, he launched Grok, an AI-based app that gained attention for its conversational and analytical capabilities.
In 2023, Musk reportedly offered the Wikimedia Foundation $1 billion to rename Wikipedia, sparking further public debate about his approach to online knowledge platforms. He also drew attention by briefly joining the Trump administration in a role focused on identifying wasteful spending.
His work in the Department of Government Efficiency was part of his broader efforts to apply technological solutions to governmental challenges, though the initiative faced criticism for its methods and impact on federal employees.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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