In a surprise move, Elon Musk, owner and CEO of Twitter, announced that the social media platform would open-source its recommendation algorithm on March 31st. Twitter algorithms have always been kept as closely guarded trade secrets, so this move is unprecedented.
Musk stated that their algorithms are complex and not fully understood internally. The decision to release the recommendation display algorithm can be seen as a move to compensate for the decline in development capabilities due to the reduction in the workforce. Still, it aligns with Musk’s promise to release it publicly. He believes that providing code transparency will lead to rapid quality recommendations and, most importantly, earn the trust of Twitter users.
Twitter’s algorithms link users to other users, groups, artists, events, or posts they may know, as well as other relevant content customized to them. However, critics argue that these algorithms can favour certain ideologies and perspectives at the expense of others.
The decision to open-source Twitter’s recommendation algorithm is a bold move that could set a precedent for other social media companies. It will be interesting to see how this move affects how users interact with Twitter and whether it leads to a more transparent and trustworthy social media platform.
