Elon Musk has announced a sweeping overhaul of X's algorithm, signalling the end of human-made rules in favour of a fully AI-controlled system. The Tesla and SpaceX chief revealed that the social media platform's recommendation engine will soon be governed entirely by Grok, an artificial intelligence model developed by his company xAI.
The plan, expected to take effect within weeks, has triggered both anticipation and concern among X's global user base.
X's Algorithm Enters A New Era
In a post shared on 17 October, Musk revealed that X will delete all existing heuristics, the fixed rules that currently guide what users see on their timelines, and replace them with an adaptive, AI-driven system. He stated that Grok will 'read every post and watch every video' on the platform, processing more than 100 million pieces of content daily to determine what users are most likely to engage with. The shift marks one of the boldest experiments in social media technology, as no other major platform has handed over its recommendation system so completely to artificial intelligence.
The 𝕏 recommendation system is evolving very rapidly. We are aiming for deletion of all heuristics within 4 to 6 weeks.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 17, 2025
Grok will literally read every post and watch every video (100M+ per day) to match users with content they’re most likely to find interesting.
This should… https://t.co/HdKKgabRUN
Musk claimed the transition will resolve long-standing visibility issues, particularly for smaller accounts struggling to gain traction. 'This should address the new user or small account problem, where you post something great, but nobody sees it,' he wrote. By replacing static algorithms with continuous machine learning, the billionaire expects X to become more responsive to user activity and emerging trends.
AI That Adapts to Every User
The update will also introduce new personalisation tools powered by Grok's conversational capabilities. According to Musk, users will soon be able to instruct the AI directly, asking it to show more or less of certain topics, people, or styles of content either temporarily or permanently. This interactive form of feed customisation positions X as one of the first social platforms to allow real-time algorithm adjustments through natural language commands.
Grok, which serves as the foundation of xAI's product lineup, was launched in 2023 and is already integrated within X Premium subscriptions. It functions as both a chatbot and a data processor, enabling Musk's social media platform to merge conversational assistance with automated curation.
A Larger Push for AI Integration
Beyond social media, Musk has repeatedly championed AI as a cornerstone of future innovation, citing its potential to eliminate inefficiency and bias from digital systems. By removing human-set rules, X's algorithm will instead rely entirely on Grok's capacity to interpret content engagement patterns and emotional tone. This model will continuously adjust what users see based on behaviour rather than manual moderation or static programming.
However, the approach also raises questions about transparency and control. Without human oversight, users may struggle to understand why certain posts are prioritised or excluded. Critics have warned that fully automated systems can amplify biases found in training data, though Musk has yet to comment on whether safeguards will be in place.
Controversy and User Backlash
Following Musk's announcement, social media users voiced mixed reactions. Some expressed curiosity about how the change could improve reach and engagement, while others feared that removing human oversight could degrade the quality of content shown. Reactions on X ranged from sarcasm to frustration, with one user writing: 'This is going to suck unbelievably badly lmao.'
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?! Fuck you Elon pic.twitter.com/R5073QCef1
— Jacob Grimoire (@JacobGrimoire) October 20, 2025
Another user added: 'I'll be glad to have an ironclad reason to finally and completely abandon this bombed out shell of a platform.' A third commented simply: 'Oh yeah, this site is cooked.' These remarks reflect growing unease over Musk's continued experimentation with X's infrastructure, which has already undergone major changes since his acquisition of the platform.
As X prepares to replace its existing recommendation engine entirely with Grok, users face a new era of automation unlike anything seen before in mainstream social media. Whether this shift will result in better engagement or widespread dissatisfaction remains to be seen, but for now, X's future appears to be in the hands of artificial intelligence, not humans.
