Back in 2023, Twitter, as it was known at the time, took a bold step by open-sourcing parts of the code that determined the content appearing in users’ feeds. However, the GitHub repository housing this code has since become outdated, with most files dating back to the initial release three years ago. Now, in a move that could shed light on why so much of what you see is designed to provoke, Elon Musk promises to unveil X’s new algorithm within the next week.

Elon Musk has a history of pledging transparency with X’s workings and has previously partially delivered, notably with the release of Grok-1 in 2024. Yet, as xAI progresses to Grok-3, the corresponding GitHub repository hasn’t seen updates for two years. This latest promise to share the X algorithm might be viewed skeptically, especially as Musk faces global criticism over Grok’s potential for creating deepfake nudes.

Musk has stated that this forthcoming release will cover “all code used to determine what organic and advertising posts are recommended to users.” He also assures this is just the beginning, with updates planned every four weeks, complete with developer notes detailing any changes. Given the experience with similar promises in 2023, some skepticism is understandable as we anticipate these developments.