TechCrunch Daily Crunch TikTok alternatives see surge in downloads
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Jan 27, 2026 Coverage of Grokipedia content surfacing in AI answers and the controversy around its citations. A look at Upscrolled’s sudden download surge after TikTok shifts. Rapid growth of Skylight on the AT protocol and what open-source social apps are doing. A plain explanation of TikTok’s U.S. ownership changes and investor limits. A quick roundup of startup funding and headlines.
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AI Models Pull From Controversial Sources
- ChatGPT and other models began citing Grokipedia, an AI-generated encyclopedia from XAI.
- The Guardian found GPT-5.2 cited Grokipedia on obscure topics while avoiding widely debunked ones.
Alternatives Grow During TikTok Uncertainty
- Upscrolled and Skylight saw huge user surges after TikTok's U.S. ownership change, showing user migration is possible during platform uncertainty.
- Skylight built on open protocols and Upscrolled framed neutrality, highlighting different strategies for competing with TikTok.
Feature Blends Attract Quick Adoption
- Upscrolled combined Instagram- and X-like features to attract users fleeing TikTok's ownership change.
- The app saw about 41,000 downloads in a three-day window, roughly one-third of its lifetime installs.