Musk's X open sources Grok-powered algorithm to boost transparency
What's the story
Elon Musk's social media platform X has officially open-sourced its "For You" feed algorithm. The production system, which is live on GitHub as of today, is the same code currently powering the platform's recommendations and is driven by the Grok model from xAI. Following a pledge made on January 11, Musk confirmed that the repository includes all code used to determine how both organic posts and advertisements are recommended to users.
Update
How the new feed works
X will update its feed-ranking codebase every four weeks, alongside detailed developer notes explaining changes in system logic. The newly open-sourced system shows a shift away from simple heuristics to a more advanced ranking approach. User feeds now blend posts from followed accounts with discovered content globally. Instead of a single engagement score, an AI model predicts multiple actions—likes, replies, reposts, clicks, and video completion—which are combined into a nuanced final ranking.
Views
'At least you can see us struggle'
The release comes as X faces mounting pressure from global regulators regarding algorithmic bias and content moderation. In a characteristic quote, Musk acknowledged the system's current flaws while emphasizing the value of being open. "We know the algorithm is dumb and needs massive improvements," Musk stated. "But at least you can see us struggle to make it better in real-time and with transparency. No other social media companies do this."
Content concerns
Musk's response to criticism over X's content
The announcement coincides with criticism related to Grok's ability to create deepfake nudes, which may reflect broader concerns about content moderation. The decision to open-source the algorithm may provide transparency into how content is recommended on X, potentially addressing some concerns. Notably, in 2023, Twitter (now X) had open-sourced some parts of its feed algorithm code. However, the GitHub repository is now outdated with most files dating back to the initial upload three years ago.