According to Cointelegraph, Elon Musk, the owner of X, has announced that his artificial intelligence company, xAI, is set to launch the early beta version of its Wikipedia competitor, Grokipedia, in two weeks. Musk described the upcoming service as a solution to "falsehoods" and "half-truths." In a post on X, Musk stated that "version 0.1 early beta" will be available soon, marking a significant step in xAI's mission to enhance knowledge accuracy.
Musk initially revealed plans for Grokipedia on September 30, emphasizing that it would be a substantial improvement over Wikipedia. He noted that Grokipedia is a necessary step toward xAI's goal of understanding the universe. While specific details about Grokipedia remain limited, Musk has previously mentioned that it will serve as an "open source knowledge repository." The concept for Grokipedia reportedly emerged during a summit hosted by The All-In Podcast in September, where Musk discussed Grok's ability to scan various sources, including Wikipedia posts and documents, to verify information accuracy. Musk explained that Grok would rewrite information to present what it considers the complete truth. Co-host David Sacks suggested Musk should offer Grokipedia as a service, to which Musk responded positively.
Elon Musk has had ongoing disagreements with Wikipedia, criticizing the platform for hosting misinformation and alleging biased editorial practices. In October 2023, Musk humorously offered to pay Wikipedia $1 billion if it changed its name to "Dikipedia," highlighting perceived ideological bias during the Wikipedia Foundation's fundraising efforts. Musk recently referenced this joke in response to venture capitalist Chamath Plihapitiya's claim that "Wikipedia is a massive psyop." Wikipedia, known for its crowd-sourced information, has faced numerous controversies over the years, many of which are documented on the platform itself.
A recent incident that reignited debate around Wikipedia involved an interview between Tucker Carlson and Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger on September 30. Sanger, who has not been involved with Wikipedia since 2002, criticized the platform's source approval and blacklisting practices, alleging ideological bias. He claimed that certain academic sources, such as a comprehensive encyclopedia of Christianity, are not allowed on Wikipedia, and accused administrators of blocking users with differing ideologies.
Musk's ambitions for xAI extend beyond Grokipedia, with plans to venture into gaming. In a retweet on X, Musk announced that the "xAI game studio will release a great AI-generated game before the end of next year."
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