X plans AI overhaul of recommendation system by November

Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) is set to overhaul its recommendation system with a fully AI-powered algorithm, aiming to give users more control over what appears in their feeds.

“The algorithm will be purely AI by November, with significant progress along the way. We will open-source the algorithm every two weeks or so. By November or certainly December, you will be able to adjust your feed dynamically just by asking Grok,” Musk wrote on his X account while announcing the update.

The new system is expected to allow users to directly prompt Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, to re-adjust their feeds in real time. By liking or disliking posts, users will be able to refine what they see, with Grok serving as the interface to fine-tune preferences.

X head of product Nikita Bier described the company’s broader approach to engagement, emphasising efforts to make feeds more personal and relevant. “The goal for your X timeline is to get out of the mainstream algo and the political crusades and find your niche. You should be able to post about your interests and have friendly, relevant people chime in. If you’re seeing gas station fight videos, your account is not ramped up yet. We are working every day to fix this,” Bier said last Friday, in a post on her X.

While the concept is not revolutionary, Threads is also reportedly experimenting with similar features, with early tests of personalisation tools spotted recently.