OpenAI’s GPT-5.2 has reportedly been drawing on Elon Musk’s Grokipedia for real-time answers, according to a recent report. This development comes amid an escalating public feud between Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Despite the growing rivalry between the two tech leaders, their AI platforms appear to be indirectly cooperating. Musk’s AI company xAI launched Grokipedia last year as an AI-generated alternative to Wikipedia. Now, the platform is being referenced by ChatGPT’s latest GPT-5.2 model when it searches the web for information.
A report by The Guardian revealed that GPT-5.2 cited Grokipedia nine times while responding to more than a dozen user queries. These ranged from topics such as Iran’s political structure—including the salaries of the Basij paramilitary group and the ownership of the Mostazafan Foundation—to biographical questions about British historian Sir Richard Evans.
Since its launch, Grokipedia has faced criticism for allegedly copying large portions of content directly from Wikipedia. In areas where the content differs, critics claim it reflects right-wing viewpoints and opinions aligned with Musk himself. The platform has previously been accused of spreading false or misleading claims about the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack, same-sex marriage, and climate change.
Unlike Wikipedia, which allows users to directly edit entries, Grokipedia operates through a centralized AI-controlled system. Users can only submit suggested corrections through a feedback form rather than making edits themselves.
The report also noted that ChatGPT did not repeat Grokipedia’s disputed claims when asked about misinformation related to the January 6 insurrection or allegations of media bias against Donald Trump. However, Grokipedia’s content appeared more frequently in ChatGPT’s responses to less common or niche topics.
For example, ChatGPT made stronger claims about links between the Iranian government and MTN-Irancell than those found on Wikipedia, including asserting that the company is connected to the office of Iran’s supreme leader.
In another case, ChatGPT relied on Grokipedia while describing Sir Richard Evans’ role as an expert witness in the trial of Holocaust denier David Irving.
Other AI systems also cite Grokipedia
OpenAI is not the only company referencing Musk’s encyclopedia. Anthropic’s Claude AI has also cited Grokipedia when answering questions on subjects ranging from oil production to Scottish beer.
In response to the controversy, an OpenAI spokesperson told The Guardian that the company’s web search feature is designed to pull information from a wide variety of publicly available sources and perspectives.
The spokesperson added that OpenAI applies safety measures to limit exposure to harmful or misleading links and that ChatGPT clearly identifies the sources used in its responses through citations.
