Will Elon Musk Really Open‑Source Twitter’s Algorithm Next Week?

Elon Musk, the owner and CEO of Twitter, announced on the platform that the company’s recommendation algorithm will be open‑sourced as early as next week, warning users to “prepare for disappointment” but promising rapid improvement.

He has been advocating for open‑sourcing Twitter’s code since acquiring the company for $44 billion in October 2022.

According to the Brookings Institution and other policy think‑tanks, releasing machine‑learning algorithms to a broader developer community can accelerate scientific progress and help define AI standards, while also reducing potential bias in public discourse.

Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s co‑founder and former CEO, previously expressed regret that the platform became a closed company and suggested an “open‑source protocol” would foster transparency and trust.

It remains unclear whether Musk will follow through on his promise before the stated deadline.

Twitter faces competition from other open‑source social platforms such as Mastodon, whose usage surged after Musk’s takeover.

Developers have even posted humorous code snippets mocking the announced open‑source release:

Tweets recommendations() {
    return find(.author = "Elon Musk");
}

A more elaborate (and tongue‑in‑cheek) version follows:

if( Tweet.UserId == GIANT_ANGRY_BABY_ELMO )
{
    // TODO Make these a config file option, he demands changes
    // to these every night at midnight after smoking too much weed
    Tweet.Views *= 1234; // obfuscate the 000s
    Tweet.Likes *= 11.5; // ditto
    Tweet.Retweets *= 5.2;
}

Regardless of the jokes, the tech community will be watching closely for any official release of Twitter’s algorithm code.