Grokipedia Faces Backlash for Racist and Transphobic Content
▼ Summary
– Grokipedia is a new online encyclopedia created by Elon Musk’s xAI, promoted as a less biased alternative to Wikipedia.
– The platform closely mimics Wikipedia’s format but contains articles that reflect Musk’s worldview with right-wing talking points and conspiracy theories.
– Scientific entries on topics like vaccines and climate change downplay established consensus and amplify fringe views.
– Political and social entries display overt bias, including transphobic language, racist content about intelligence, and justification of the January 6th Capitol attack.
– Musk and his companies receive disproportionately positive coverage, with flattering articles and omitted criticisms, while unrelated topics like DOGE are absent.
A new online encyclopedia called Grokipedia has ignited a firestorm of criticism for promoting racist and transphobic content, alongside a clear agenda that aligns with its founder’s personal views. Launched by Elon Musk’s xAI, the platform presents itself as a less biased alternative to Wikipedia, promising “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” However, a closer look reveals a deeply troubling pattern of misinformation and bigotry.
Visually, Grokipedia mimics Wikipedia’s format with headings, citations, and source lists. It claims each article undergoes fact-checking by the Grok AI chatbot, though the specifics of this process remain undefined. The origin of its nearly 900,000 entries is similarly mysterious. Many articles appear to be direct copies from Wikipedia, but when addressing topics that conflict with Musk’s worldview, the content takes a sharp turn. It frequently promotes right-wing narratives, factual inaccuracies, and unfounded conspiracy theories, often with overtly racist and transphobic undertones. Unsurprisingly, entries about Musk and his ventures are portrayed in an exceptionally positive light.
On scientifically settled matters, Grokipedia deliberately sows doubt. While Wikipedia firmly states that vaccines do not cause autism and highlights the scientific consensus from global health bodies, Grokipedia only rejects the MMR-autism link. It lends legitimacy to anti-vaccine rhetoric by labeling it a “hypothesis” and downplays established consensus. Regarding COVID-19 origins, it amplifies the debunked lab-engineered theory, whereas Wikipedia correctly identifies such claims as misinformation. The platform’s entry on climate change similarly ignores the overwhelming scientific agreement on human-caused warming, instead blaming media and advocacy groups for public alarm.
The platform’s political and social entries are even more concerning. Its article on transgender issues repeatedly uses the term “transgenderism,” a word widely considered pejorative. The entry for Chelsea Manning deadnames and misgenders her extensively. Most alarmingly, the Grokipedia page on race and intelligence asserts that some races are inherently more intelligent, even listing fabricated IQ scores. It cites the discredited journal Mankind Quarterly, known for its ties to white nationalism. In stark contrast, Wikipedia explains that IQ score differences are not genetically determined.
Grokipedia’s portrayal of the January 6th Capitol attack is another glaring example. It uses language about “widespread claims of voting irregularities” to seemingly justify the riot, while downplaying the violence. Wikipedia accurately describes the event as an attempted self-coup and part of a deliberate plan to overturn an election. The entry for George Floyd focuses overwhelmingly on his criminal record, delaying any mention of his murder until the fourth sentence. Wikipedia, conversely, identifies him as a Black man whose killing sparked nationwide protests against police brutality.
Curiously, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Musk once led, is absent from Grokipedia. The site directs users searching for DOGE to the Shiba Inu dog meme instead. Wikipedia provides detailed information on DOGE’s role in federal layoffs and agency dismantling.
Musk and his companies receive consistently glowing coverage. His biography downplays his family’s wealth, omitting any mention of emerald mines or his grandfather’s pro-Nazi and apartheid views, details present on Wikipedia. Articles about his businesses are significantly longer and more flattering. The SpaceX entry ignores failed technology acquisition attempts and minimizes environmental concerns. The Cybertruck page barely addresses safety issues or recalls, instead accusing the media of bias against Tesla. The Optimus robot article glosses over Musk’s unrealistic predictions and timelines, presenting a sanitized version of events.
(Source: The Verge)
