Elon Musk has launched a dual critique and transparency initiative targeting X’s core content-ranking technology, declaring the platform’s algorithm is “dumb” and “needs massive improvements.” In a significant move, he pledged to publicly release the underlying code for the recommendation system on GitHub every four weeks, explaining any changes with each update. “We know the algorithm is dumb and needs massive improvements, but at least you can see us struggle to make it better in real-time and with transparency,” Musk wrote on X, claiming no other social media company provides such access.
This overhaul shifts the system toward an AI-driven model, built on architecture similar to Musk’s Grok chatbot, moving away from the older rules-based system that prioritized engagement signals like likes and shares—a system Musk has long criticized as a divisive “black box.” The decision marks a stark departure from the platform’s original reverse-chronological feed and its more recent algorithmic history, aiming to address Musk’s enduring frustration that the previous technology could not distinguish, for example, between content a user loved and content that outraged them.
While the open-source release aims to demystify how the “For You” feed operates, key practical questions about the new algorithm’s function and data use remain unanswered, as X did not immediately provide further specifics on its internal workings. The move represents Musk’s latest attempt to remake the platform he acquired for $44 billion, directly responding to his own years of complaints about algorithmic bias and opacity by inviting public scrutiny of the very system he now aims to fix.