He made Twitter’s algorithm available as open-source in 2023, but never made any updates to the GitHub page.
He made Twitter’s algorithm available as open-source in 2023, but never made any updates to the GitHub page.
In 2023, when it was still referred to as Twitter, ported segments of the code that controlled what appeared in user feeds. Unfortunately, that GitHub repository is dramatically out-of-date, with most of its content seemingly from the original upload three years prior. Elon Musk has indicated that after a week, he will make public X’s updated algorithm, giving users an insight and perhaps a technical rationale for the prevalence of contentious content in their feeds.
Musk has frequently claimed he would make certain sections of X open-source and has delivered to some extent, starting with Grok-1 in 2024. However, xAI has since progressed to Grok-3, and the Grok GitHub repository has not seen any updates in two years. The timing surrounding the announcement to release the X algorithm more openly is expected to be met with skepticism, especially as Musk is currently dealing with criticism from various quarters regarding Grok’s capability to produce deepfake pornographic content.
Musk has asserted that this version of the X algorithm will encompass “all code responsible for defining which organic and promotional materials are suggested to users.” He also mentioned this is merely the initial release, with updates slated to follow every month, which will include developer insights on any modifications made. Naturally, given past experiences from 2023, one may be justified in being skeptical about this commitment.
