Mark Cuban challenges Musk to post X algorithm’s source code

Billionaire investor Mark Cuban has asked Elon Musk to share the source code of X’s algorithm, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Elon Musk posted on Saturday that X / Twitter is “working on highlighting more banger content” from small X accounts. “Our [X’s] current algorithm shows too much from accounts that are big already,” he said. However, Cuban suggested to Musk a different option.

“Can you post the expected algorithm source code, before you implement them? So users can give feedback?” he wrote in an X post to Musk on Sunday.

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The Shark Tank star and owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team demanded that if Musk can’t share the algorithm’s code, he can at least share how X decides the relevance of posts. The figure previously wanted tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee to feature in an episode of Shark Tank.

“Or at least details on how you will determine Reputation, Relevancy and Similarity? Again, so users can offer general feedback? Unless of course you want to define it by yourself, which is of course your right.”

@elonmusk
Can you post the expected algorithm source code, before you implement them ?
So users can give feedback ?

Or at least details on how you will determine Reputation, Relevancy and Similarity ? Again, so users can offer general feedback ?

Unless of course you want to… https://t.co/MVKZdLKsOG

— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) August 25, 2024

Musk did not reply to Cuban’s request, but his fans contested why other social media platforms aren’t being asked the same question. “Which other platforms have their CEO post about politics and personally insult their users?” Cuban replied to one commenter.

This isn’t the first time Cuban has spoken out against X’s algorithm. Cuban told Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show” that Musk might have tweaked the algorithm to match his own preferences. The interview aired on August 12.

“Unlike the other platforms, our algorithm is open source! And if you interact and argue with right-wing accounts, which Cuban does a lot, the algorithm will assume that’s what you *want* to do and give you more of it lmao,” Musk replied in an X post.

Elements of the X website and features like the source code for the Community Notes system and the Recommendation Algorithm that Cuban wished to see can be found on a dedicated website and GitHub pages.