Elon Musk’s Grokipedia Has A Conspiracy Problem

November 08, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

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When xAI launched Grokipedia in early 2025, Elon Musk described it as a “truth engine”, an antidote to what he called the “woke bias” of Wikipedia. The platform promised “the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” delivered through Grok, xAI’s chatbot. 

However, Wikipedia editors see Grokipedia as a cautionary example of how AI can reframe history through tone and placement rather than fact. Read on!

LEARN WITH BOOM

A new WhatsApp scam is circulating APK files named like “RTO E-Challan.apk” or “MParivahan.apk.” They look official but carry malware that can steal data, hijack WhatsApp and spread itself by forwarding to your contacts. 

What the scam is

Fraudsters send a message that looks like an official RTO challan notice or ‘mParivahan’ with an APK attachment. You receive this message (often from a number you don’t know). As soon as you click to download and install the file, it installs malware on Android devices. 

Once installed, the malware runs with device permissions and can read data, send messages, and change settings. The malicious app can exfiltrate sensitive data, harvest your banking information, take control of WhatsApp and auto-forward the same malicious file to your contacts.

What to avoid

  • Do not download or install APK files sent via WhatsApp or SMS. Legit government apps (e.g., mParivahan) are available only through official app stores or government portals. They will not be pushed as APK files through WhatsApp. 

  • Don’t click suspicious links in messages; don’t forward the message to others. 

  • Only install apps from official app stores like Google Play or the vendor’s verified site. 

  • Keep OS and apps updated; enable Google Play Protect and use a reputable mobile security app.

Read Titha Ghosh’s story to find more such tips.

DECODE

Inside Musk’s Wikipedia: Grokipedia Spins Conspiracy Theories On Taj Mahal, Delhi Riots

On the surface, xAI’s Grokipedia looks familiar. Its entries mimic Wikipedia’s layout—headings, subheadings, and neatly listed citations. But beneath the stripped-down interface lies a crucial difference: there are no visible editors, only Grok, xAI’s chatbot, which claims to have “fact-checked” each article. 

The platform claims each of its 8.8 lakh entries has been “fact-checked by AI.” What that means — or how those pages were created — remains opaque. Users can’t edit anything; they can only submit “corrections” through a form, with the AI deciding what stays and what gets erased. 

To understand how that plays out in an Indian context, Decode’s Hera Rizwan examined Grokipedia’s entries related to India. We looked at three topics: Taj Mahal, the 2020 Delhi riots, and Sonam Wangchuk, and how they have been described on Grokipedia. 

The chosen topics have recently surfaced in public debate: the Taj Mahal amid revived “Tejo Mahal” claims and Paresh Rawal-starrer new movie, the Delhi Riots with ongoing trials for the past five years, and Sonam Wangchuk’s arrest during his fast for Ladakh’s statehood. Frequent flashpoints in the misinformation ecosystem, these significant topics together reveal how Grokipedia frames complex and contested narratives.

Indian Journalists Sound Alarm Over Their AI Clones On YouTube

Hindi news journalists with millions of subscribers on YouTube are grappling with a unique challenge. 

Rather than fretting over news stories or algorithm-driven engagement, they now have to worry about a growing crop of fake YouTube channels cloning their voices and propagating disinformation in their names. 

An investigation by Decode’s Rohit Kumar found over 40 YouTube channels impersonating the voices of popular Hindi news journalists such as Ravish Kumar, Abhisar Sharma, Sudhir Chaudhary, Rajat Sharma and Shubhankar Mishra among others, using AI voice overs.

The admins earn through ad revenue and in some cases charge subscribers for ‘members-only’ exclusive content. Some of the fake channels have millions of followers and an equally impressive number of views on their videos. 

YouTube suspended 21 fake channels after we flagged it to the Alphabet-owned platform. We found another 22 channels over the course of our investigation.

'FAKE NEWS’ YOU ALMOST FELL FOR

🔍  A digitally altered video was shared on social media, falsely claiming to show General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), saying that the Indian Army will reduce non-Hindu soldiers by over 50 percent by 2028. 🔗 Anmol Alphonso’s ↗️ debunked the claim.

🔍  A fake graphic of NDTV India purportedly quoting Home Minister Amit Shah as saying that social media workers of all political parties survive on ration provided by the Bharatiya Janata Party surfaced online. Read 🔗 Srijanee Chakraborty’s ↗️ fact-check.

🔍  An AI-generated video showing a white woman holding two newborn babies with black hair while a man shouts in disbelief, claiming they are not his, is being shared and misreported as a real incident. Read 🔗 Anmol Alphonso’s ↗️  fact-check.

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