In 2023, what was then still called Twitter, open-sourced at least portions of the code that decided what it served up in your feed. But that GitHub repository is hopelessly out of date, with the vast majority of the files appearing to be from the initial upload three years ago. Elon Musk says that in seven days, he will open-source X’s new algorithm and finally give people a peek behind the curtain and possibly a technical explanation as to why your feed is 90 percent rage bait.
Elon has always made promises to open-source parts of X, and has followed through to at least some degree, including Grok-1 in 2024. But xAI is now on Grok-3, and the Grok GitHub repository hasn’t been updated in two years. The timing of the announcement open-sourcing the X algorithm is also likely to be met with some suspicion, as Musk is fending off criticism from across the globe and the political spectrum regarding Grok’s willingness to make deepfake nudes.
Musk says this release of the X algorithm will include “all code used to determine what organic and advertising posts are recommended to users.” He also says this will be just the first, with updates coming every four weeks, and that those will include developer notes highlighting any changes. Of course, considering how things played out in 2023, you’ll have to forgive us for taking that promise with a grain of salt.