Elon Musk proposes posting fee to combat bots on X
Elon Musk has announced plans to introduce a nominal fee for new users on the social media platform X. This strategy is designed to combat the bot issue plaguing the platform. Musk believes that imposing a minor charge on new accounts is the "only way" to stop the "onslaught of bots." He pointed out that current AI can easily pass 'Are you a bot' tests, underscoring CAPTCHA's limitations in controlling bot activity.
Fee implementation details remain undisclosed
Musk has stated that new users will be able to post content on X after three months of account creation without any fee. However, the specifics regarding the timeline for implementing this policy and potential charges for new users have not been revealed yet. In October 2023, X started charging an annual $1 fee from unverified new users in New Zealand and the Philippines, restricting their interaction unless they paid the fee.
X utilizes public posts for machine learning training
Musk has shown interest in using public posts on X for training machine learning algorithms. In alignment with this, X updated its policy last year to allow the use of public posts for this purpose. In July 2023, Musk announced that his AI company, xAI, would use public posts from the platform for model training. This move is part of a broader strategy to enhance the platform's AI capabilities.
Grok Chatbot now accessible to Premium X users
xAI recently made its Grok chatbot available to Premium X users who subscribe at $8/month. Previously, this feature was exclusive to users subscribing at the higher $16/month under the Premium+ tier. A recent report by Fortune suggests that X plans to make Grok available for all users for post composition, further expanding its user accessibility.
X's revenue outlook impacted by advertiser exodus
X's stance against advertisers has had a significant impact on its revenue outlook. Data from Sensor Tower reveals that 75 of the top 100 US advertisers on X from October 2022 have stopped allocating their ad budget to the platform. This shift indicates a potential challenge for X as it navigates its future growth and revenue strategies.
