TL;DR
Elon Musk announced he will open-source X’s updated recommendation algorithm in seven days and promised ongoing updates every four weeks with developer notes. The company previously released parts of its recommendation code in 2023, but that repository has not been kept current.
What happened
Elon Musk announced that, within seven days, he will publish the code behind X’s new algorithm that decides which organic and advertising posts are recommended to users. He described this as an initial release and said subsequent updates would arrive every four weeks accompanied by developer notes documenting changes. The move follows an earlier partial open-sourcing of recommendation code in 2023; that GitHub repository appears largely unchanged, with most files dating from the initial upload three years ago. Musk has previously released AI-related code — including Grok-1 in 2024 — but xAI is currently on Grok-3 and the Grok repository has not been updated in two years. Observers may view the timing of the announcement in light of recent criticism aimed at X and its AI models.
Why it matters
- Opening the recommendation code could increase transparency about how X ranks and surfaces content to users.
- Public access to the code may invite scrutiny from researchers, regulators and developers about potential biases or safety issues.
- Past gaps between promises and updates on public repositories may influence trust in the completeness or frequency of future releases.
- The announcement comes while X faces criticism over AI-generated content, which could shape public and regulatory attention to the release.
Key facts
- Musk said the release will include "all code used to determine what organic and advertising posts are recommended to users."
- He promised this initial code drop would be followed by updates every four weeks with developer notes.
- Twitter/X had previously published portions of its feed algorithm in 2023, but that GitHub repository is largely out of date.
- Most files in the 2023 repository appear to be from the initial upload three years ago, according to the source.
- Musk previously open-sourced Grok-1 in 2024.
- xAI is reported to be on Grok-3, while the Grok GitHub repository has not been updated in two years.
- The timing of the announcement was noted amid criticism regarding Grok’s handling of AI-generated explicit imagery.
What to watch next
- Whether the promised repository appears within seven days as Musk stated (confirmed in the source).
- If the public release actually contains the full recommendation pipeline and supporting components (not confirmed in the source).
- Whether X follows through on four-week update cadence and provides the developer notes Musk described (confirmed in the source).
- Whether independent researchers and regulators review the code and publish findings about bias, safety or manipulation risks (not confirmed in the source).
Quick glossary
- Open-source: Software whose source code is made publicly available so anyone can inspect, modify or distribute it under the terms of a license.
- Algorithm: A set of rules or instructions a computer program follows to perform a task or make decisions.
- Recommendation algorithm: Software that selects and ranks content for users based on signals such as engagement, relevance, and user behavior.
- GitHub: A web-based platform used for hosting and collaborating on software projects and version-controlled code repositories.
Reader FAQ
Has Musk said when the code will be published?
He announced the release would occur in seven days.
Will the release include ad and organic recommendation code?
Musk stated it would include all code used to determine recommendations for both organic and advertising posts.
Is the previous recommendation repository up to date?
No — the 2023 repository appears largely out of date, with most files from its initial upload three years ago.
Will updates arrive regularly after the initial release?
Musk said he plans updates every four weeks with developer notes explaining changes.
Will this publication resolve concerns about AI-generated explicit images or other content issues?
Not confirmed in the source.
NEWS TECH ELON MUSK Musk says he’s going to open-source the new X algorithm next week He open-sourced Twitter’s algorithm back in 2023, but then never updated the GitHub. by…
Sources
- Musk says he’s going to open-source the new X algorithm next week
- Musk's X to open source new algorithm in seven days
- Elon Musk Says X to Make Algorithm Open Source in …
- Elon Musk Says In One Week He Will Fully Reveal Why …
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