Elon Musk Announces X Will Open-Source Recommendation Algorithm in 7 Days
Elon Musk announced that social media platform X will open-source its new recommendation algorithm in seven days. The move aims to provide transparency into how the platform selects both organic posts and advertisements for user feeds.
San Francisco, January 11: Elon Musk announced on Saturday that social media platform X will make its recommendation algorithm open-source within the next seven days. The move, which includes the underlying code for both organic posts and advertising recommendations, marks the latest attempt by the company to address long-standing concerns regarding transparency and algorithmic bias.
In a post on the platform, Musk stated that the release will be accompanied by comprehensive developer notes to explain the logic behind content curation. He further committed to updating this public code every four weeks, allowing researchers and users to track changes as the platform evolves. X New Feature Update: Elon Musk’s Platform Working on ‘Priority’ Notifications Tab, Will Reportedly Allow Users To Filter Notifications by Importance.
Elon Musk Announces X Will Open-Source Recommendation Algorithm
Focus on Transparency and AI
The decision to release the code comes as X increasingly relies on artificial intelligence to shape user feeds. Musk has previously expressed a vision for a "purely AI" recommendation engine, primarily driven by Grok, the chatbot developed by his company xAI. Elon Musk’s X App Could Be Banned in UK Over ‘Grok’ AI Chatbot Row, Says Report.
According to Musk, recent improvements in user feeds are the result of AI tools rather than manual adjustments by engineers. The company aims to have Grok evaluate over 100 million daily posts to provide users with highly personalized content.
Regulatory Pressure and Global Scrutiny
The timing of the announcement coincides with intensifying pressure from international regulators. Earlier this week, the European Commission extended a data retention order requiring X to preserve documents related to its algorithms and the spread of illegal content until the end of 2026.
The platform is also facing significant backlash in several regions:
- Europe: Regulators are investigating X for potential violations of transparency obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
- United Kingdom: Government officials have demanded urgent action regarding the generation of inappropriate and sexualized AI images.
- France: Prosecutors previously launched a probe into alleged algorithmic bias, a move X described as "politically motivated."
- Indonesia: Access to Grok’s image-generation features was recently blocked following an investigation into sexual content.
A History of Transparency Promises
This is not the first time Musk has pledged to open-source the platform's inner workings. In early 2023, shortly after his acquisition of the company formerly known as Twitter, a portion of the "For You" feed code was published on GitHub. However, critics noted that the release lacked critical datasets and was not consistently updated.
While the new commitment to a four-week update cycle suggests a more structured approach, industry analysts remain cautious. Previous promises of bi-weekly updates in late 2025 did not materialize, leading to questions about whether this latest initiative will provide the sustained transparency demanded by regulators and users alike.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 11, 2026 07:13 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).