X owner Elon Musk said Tuesday that his artificial intelligence company xAI is working on a Wikipedia alternative that will be “a massive improvement” over the information site.
Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger discussed on the Tucker Carlson Show how the website has gradually shifted since its introduction in 2001. Sanger said on Monday that anyone can find a “color-coded” list on Wikipedia’s site showing “reliable” and “perennial” sources, saying Fox News, Daily Caller, and the New York Post are among the “blacklisted” sources.
The “Reliable sources/Perennial sources” Wikipedia page says there is no consensus for the Washington Examiner, but “there is consensus” it shouldn’t be used “to substantiate exceptional claims.”
“We are building Grokipedia @xAI. Will be a massive improvement over Wikipedia. Frankly, it is a necessary step towards the xAI goal of understanding the Universe,” Musk said on X.
One X user responded to Musk’s announcement by saying Wikipedia is “a smear machine for the Left.” Musk responded with a “100” emoji. He also joked in a separate post that Wikipedia should be called “Wokipedia,” playing on the term “woke.”
Sanger said on X that 85% of Wikipedia’s “most influential accounts” are anonymous, calling this group the “Power 62.” Musk reposted Sanger’s comment by saying, “Curiouser and curiouser.”
Sanger listed some of the approved sources for Wikipedia: the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, Mother Jones magazine, and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Sources colored in red are on the blacklist and cannot be cited for facts but could “maybe” be used for opinion.
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Tucker Carlson pointed out that the Anti-Defamation League gets a green light on this list, though Sanger said the ADL can be used “only for some” articles. Specifically, the ADL cannot be cited when covering conflicts regarding Israel.
Musk’s rivaling of Wikipedia marks his latest endeavor for free speech and information, which led him to purchase Twitter in 2022. He rebranded the social media platform as “X” in July 2023, and xAI acquired X in March in an all-stock transaction.
