Wikipedia Cofounder Slams Elon Musk's Grokipedia As 'Thumb On The Scales'

Wikipedia cofounder Jimmy Wales has expressed his scepticism about the credibility of the recently launched Grokipedia, as it suggests users will struggle to trust an encyclopedia influenced by bias.

When questioned by The Verge, Wales stated: 'I think a lot of the criticism that it's getting is not surprising to me. 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.

'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.'

Elon Musk introduced his version of Wikipedia, Grokipedia, in October 2025, which is an artificial intelligence system.

The Tesla and SpaceX boss has long criticised Wikipedia as being left-wing, saying his platform would be more balanced. However, Wales's remarks indicate the difficulties in developing trust in AI-generated knowledge.

Grokipedia's AI Reliance Sparks Backlash

Grokipedia is based on AI-generated entries, which are already facing criticism from experts who fear they are not accurate or reliable. Large language models, as Wales himself noted, are particularly vulnerable to hallucinating facts or misrepresenting sources, making them unsuitable for encyclopaedic work.

Critics argue that the platform Musk created poses a risk of misinformation due to its lack of editorial oversight. Wales reiterated that Wikipedia's power lies in its community verification process, which requires sources to be scrutinised and personal opinions to be approached through open conversation. In comparison, the use of automated systems at Grokipedia raises issues of transparency and accountability.

Musk's Long-Running Feud With Wikipedia

This feud follows years of open confrontations between Musk and Wales, which have led to the foundation of Grokipedia. Wales has also criticised the site for being biased towards liberal opinions and for suppressing other opinions.

Nonetheless, Wales refuted the idea that Wikipedia is biased in politics and is neutral by practising strict sourcing. He pointed out that the site separates peer-reviewed journals and untrustworthy content, which Musk has mocked as ideological filtering.

The Question Of Trust

The main problem in the Grokipedia controversy is trust. Wales held that, to be legitimate, an encyclopedia had to be neutral. For him, people will not believe the content if they perceive that the scales are tilted.

Technology analysts echo this concern, alleging that information generated by AI-driven platforms is often not transparent. Grokipedia will not be able to persuade users to trust its content without editorial guidance. This backlash underscores that the knowledge economy poses a significant challenge to Musk's quest to disrupt it.

Broader Implications For AI And Knowledge

The Grokipedia scandalous case is indicative of broader concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on how society receives information. Although AI-based tools can speed up content creation, they also introduce the risk of mistrust if mistakes or biases remain unaddressed.

Wales's intervention highlights the significance of human control in ensuring credibility. Wikipedia's model, although imperfect, is based on a global community of editors who discuss and perfect entries. The automated nature of Grokipedia might be a welcome development for Musk's vision of efficiency. Still, critics believe it comes at the cost of the accountability that drives trust in knowledge platforms.