Elon Musk: X's New Algorithm Will Be Made Open Source in Seven Days (msn.com)
- Reference: 0180561582
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/01/11/038252/elon-musk-xs-new-algorithm-will-be-made-open-source-in-seven-days
- Source link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/elon-musk-says-x-to-make-algorithm-open-source-in-seven-days/ar-AA1TXSiC
[2]Some context from Engadget :
> Musk has been making promises of open-sourcing the algorithm since his takeover of Twitter, and in 2023 published the code for the site's "For You" feed on GitHub. But the code wasn't all that revealing, leaving out key details, [3]according to analyses at the time . And it hasn't been kept up to date.
Bloomberg [4]also reported on Saturday's announcement :
> The billionaire didn't say why X was making its algorithm open source. He and the company have clashed several times with regulators over content being shown to users.
>
> Some X users had previously complained that they were receiving fewer posts on the social media platform from people they follow. In October, Musk [5]confirmed in a post on X that the company had found a "significant bug" in the platform's "For You" algorithm and pledged a fix. The company has also been working to incorporate more artificial intelligence into its recommendation algorithm for X, using Grok, Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot...
>
> In September, Musk [6]wrote that the goal was for X's recommendation engine to "be purely AI" and that the company would share its open source algorithm about every two weeks. "To the degree that people are seeing improvements in their feed, it is not due to the actions of specific individuals changing heuristics, but rather increasing use of Grok and other AI tools," Musk [7]wrote in October. The company was working to have all of the more than 100 million daily posts published to X evaluated by Grok, which would then offer individual users the posts most likely to interest them, Musk wrote. "This will profoundly improve the quality of your feed." He added that the company was planning to roll out the new features by November.
[1] https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2010062264976736482
[2] https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/elon-musk-says-xs-new-algorithm-will-be-made-open-source-next-week-225721656.html
[3] https://www.engadget.com/what-did-twitters-open-source-algorithm-actually-reveal-not-a-lot-194652809.html
[4] https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/elon-musk-says-x-to-make-algorithm-open-source-in-seven-days/ar-AA1TXSiC
[5] https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1982812866131407293
[6] https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1969081066578149547
[7] https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1978119427536093319
This is great news (Score:3)
The creators of rival social networks like Mastodon can now get the code, review it, and make sure they never, ever, do anything remotely similar.
Re: (Score:2)
It's unlikely that Elon Musk could "green the Sahara".
Re: (Score:2)
> Now the whole argument that Musk is doing something in secret that puts the EU propaganda at a disadvantage will be voided.
You mean the EU got it wrong when they said that X/Grok could be used to take the clothes off women and minors?
Even J.D. Vance agrees (Score:2)
That using X/Grok to make sexualised images is wrong - [1]David Lammy: JD Vance agrees that sexualised AI images on X are ‘unacceptable’ [theguardian.com].
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/10/ai-generated-sexualised-images-x-jd-vance-grok
Re: Silencing the Woke EU Dictators (Score:2)
Following what logic? That X is running an unmodified version of the source code he will release? And that we can take his word on this?
What's that letter? (Score:4, Interesting)
The curly "d" with a cross appears to be a lower case [1]Eth [wikipedia.org], which will be known to Slashdot's Icelandic, Middle English, and Old English readers. Just like smart quotes get turned into Angstrom symbols, Slashdot transforms the fancy "X" into something unexpected!
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eth
But will this tell us anything? (Score:3)
Per TFS:
> In September, Musk wrote that the goal was for X's recommendation engine to "be purely AI" and that the company would share its open source algorithm about every two weeks. "To the degree that people are seeing improvements in their feed, it is not due to the actions of specific individuals changing heuristics, but rather increasing use of Grok and other AI tools ," Musk wrote in October.
It's one thing to see the source code behind the recommendation engine. It's another to see the source code and training data that produce the AI models that are used by that engine. I wonder whether we're going to see the latter.
Re: (Score:2)
> "It's one thing to see the source code behind the recommendation engine. It's another to see the source code and training data that produce the AI models that are used by that engine. I wonder whether we're going to see the latter."
I was wondering the same thing. Open-sourcing the algorithm code is great. But if it relies more and more on some AI "black box" to make the decisions, then that open code isn't going to be but so revealing. Still, it could be useful, since you would see what queries are (
Re: (Score:2)
Grok's standing orders leaked out long ago, and are basically "do what Elon Musk would do". It gets trained on his posts.
I left twitter and won't come back until that gets fixed and it's de-nazified.
Sure! (Score:2)
This is the code they are uploading to github, not necessarily the code they are using on Twitter. Nothing more!
First Rule in Algorithm is Probably: (Score:2)
If user == Elon Musk, set priority = max ;-)
It's a jest, but it's probably more right than wrong. :-O
Elon's tweets will still be promoted. (Score:2)
Anyone who thinks that Elon's BS won't still be promoted in the recommended feed, I'll have a nice bride to sell you.
He can show whatever code he wants. Doesn't mean that internally that's actually the one they run.
Re: (Score:3)
Tell me more about the bride you have for sale.
Twitter, I mean X is still extant? (Score:2)
I had no idea that anyone posted on Twitter, I mean X, any more. That is news!
Re: (Score:2)
> I had no idea that anyone posted on Twitter, I mean X, any more. That is news!
We hear you loud and clear. Virtue signalled. Is there any other point to that post?
I think we hear at /. all know already how bad Xitter is, and Facebook, Tik Tok etc.
But around half a billion people, by the way, use X monthly. Deplorables as you might call them. Small compared to Facebook and Instagram,
its enough to make the "no idea" comment petty and immature.
Re: (Score:2)
Can you explain maybe the mindset of people who support the platform of a guy who publicly sieg heils and also very publicly, blatantly and unashamedly tries to sow political discord? I'm especially interest in the mindset of people who are against these things. My own take is basically no faith in humanity and that everyone's cheap and would support anyone who would throw them a (publicity/exposure) bone, so I'm all ears.
Re: (Score:2)
That includes governments. The UK government is currently investigating Grok for drawing sexualised content of children, just the latest in a long line of bullshit headaches the platform has caused the UK - spreading racism, misinformation etc. In addition to fining or whatever slap on the wrist Ofcom issues the platform, the government should drop every single account they have on the platform. i.e. every official role, every government department, every funded NGO, should leave the platform. Those account
Re: (Score:2)
It's the excuse of critical mass. Apparently we have to wait for the new generation to find X uncool and switch to something else en-masse. Government and other corporate accounts just follow the people, they never set an example.
Does this include all the input data? (Score:2)
Does this include all the inputs to neural networks and other "AI" things that are being used to determine what you see in your feed?
If it doesn't include the inputs (or where the inputs are somehow derived from user-specific data associated with your account, show you how to actually get those same inputs from your account data) then it is useless.
oh, shit! (Score:1)
7 days, there is something unsettling about it. [1]I remember! [youtube.com] Was it Elon on the phone all along?
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im03GUnw1qE