Testing by The Guardian revealed that OpenAI's GPT-5.2 model cited Grokipedia nine times across more than a dozen queries, raising concerns about the reliability of AI-generated content. Grokipedia, the AI-powered encyclopaedia launched by Elon Musk's xAI, has faced criticism for promoting questionable sources and controversial narratives, yet it now appears as a reference in responses from leading AI chatbots.
OpenAI released GPT-5.2 in December 2025 to enhance professional tasks such as spreadsheet creation and complex problem-solving, but Guardian tests found the model referenced Grokipedia nine times when answering questions on Iranian political structures, including Basij force salaries and Mostazafan Foundation ownership, as well as queries about Richard Evans, a British historian who served as an expert witness during a libel trial for Holocaust denier David Irving. Grokipedia launched on 27th October 2025 and has been described as validating debunked conspiracy theories. Anthropic's Claude chatbot also referenced Grokipedia when answering questions on topics including oil production and Scottish beer, highlighting a broader pattern across AI systems. An OpenAI spokesperson stated that ChatGPT aims to draw from a broad range of publicly available sources and viewpoints, applying safety filters to reduce the risk of surfacing links associated with high-severity harms.
The Guardian noted ChatGPT did not use Grokipedia when prompted about media bias against Donald Trump and other controversial topics, suggesting the model applies selective filtering for well-known misinformation. However, Grokipedia had grown to over 5.6 million articles by early 2026, expanding its potential influence as a source for AI systems. The reliance on AI-generated encyclopaedias by competing chatbots underscores the challenge of maintaining source credibility in an ecosystem where automated content can propagate across platforms, potentially amplifying biases and inaccuracies that traditional human-edited sources work to mitigate through community oversight and editorial standards.
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Sources:
1. https://www.engadget.com/ai/report-reveals-that-openais-gpt-52-model-cites-grokipedia-192532977.html
2. https://www.news9live.com/technology/tech-news/chatgpt-now-depends-on-grokipedia-raising-concerns-over-accuracy-bias-2922760
3. https://www.teslarati.com/elon-musks-grokipedia-is-getting-cited-by-openais-chatgpt/
