What Lies Behind the Merger of X and Elon Musk’s xAI—and How It Will Affect Your Data
Elon Musk’s self-purchase The merger between his artificial intelligence (AI) firm xAI and the social media platform X (previously known as Twitter) marks the newest indication of AI and social media converging.
While the move is largely seen to be for financial reasons - to boost X’s static revenue by adding it to the AI bubble - it is also likely to fuse the companies so that user data on X can be used to train xAI.
When the acquisition was announced, Musk stated, 'Today marks our official move to integrate the data, models, computing power, distribution channels, and expertise.'
The relocation of power towards Musk not only strengthens his control but may also raise concerns regarding data usage. Critics argue this could lead to the exploitation of user information for monetary gain through targeted advertisements.
"Data could remain confined to their organization, yet one can’t predict what new business strategy the firm might adopt," stated Jan Penfrat, a senior policy advisor for the Brussels-based nonprofit European Digital Rights (EDRi).
"It's clear that selling data to advertisers was always a key component of both Twitter’s and subsequently X Corp.’s revenue strategy. Therefore, I believe this move is entirely plausible," he stated to Euronews Next.
However, X is not the only social media platform planning to use data to train AI models.
Meta is already accomplishing this by utilizing user data from platforms like Facebook and Instagram to train its Llama AI model, and it might also leverage images captured with its Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses.
" Elon Musk Would prefer to strengthen their dominance in this sector and due to the fierce competition in AI... Thus, Elon Musk aims significantly to be the leading pioneer," stated Petros Iosifidis, who is a professor specializing in media and communication policy at City University London.
"We ought to keep in mind that he is closely associated with the new administration, particularly with Donald Trump at this time. By merging his technical expertise with political influence, I believe this will greatly benefit him," he said to Euronews Next.
Fake news and disinformation
However, what could be considered "great" for Musk might not result in an impartial and precise AI system.
Regardless of Musk stating that his AI model called Grok will be created as a "maximally truth-seeking AI" through training with X user data, which might not provide the most reliable foundation for accuracy.
Following Musk’s takeover and overhaul of Twitter, which involved renaming the platform as well as dismissing external content moderators, incidents of misinformation and hate speech have surged significantly.
A study published in February, which examined tens of thousands of English-language posts following Musk’s acquisition of X, revealed that there had been an increase A 50 percent increase in hate speech in the first eight months he owned the company and no change in the amount of fake bot accounts, which Musk vowed to get rid of.
This identical hate speech and misinformation can subsequently be disseminated to educate the AI models as well.
"It isn’t advisable to integrate large language models (LLMs) as features within social media platforms since they facilitate the explicit generation of fake news, misinformation, and various forms of detrimental artificial content that fail to add positive value to online discussions," stated Penfrat.
He mentioned that one of the problems with large language models (LLMs) is that they use material from the initial authors and later redistribute and monetize it for users. This issue becomes even more significant within the framework of a social media platform.
"Merging these two companies shows everyone that Musk is not focused on promoting constructive public discussions or similar goals. Instead, his interests lie elsewhere from a commercial standpoint," he said additionally.
Consolidation of power
This poses significant risks because it further concentrates Musk’s influence, given his ownership of SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI, along with having also snuggled close to US President Donald Trump .
"It serves as an important reminder that there’s someone controlling the content platform and how these extensive language models interact with us, influencing what gets said—or perhaps more importantly, what doesn’t get mentioned—thus presenting significant potential for censorship," Penfrat stated.
He mentioned that since Musk possesses the satellite internet infrastructure, he has the potential to cut off internet access at will in any nation.
Penfrat stated that if individuals are concerned about social media firms utilizing their information to develop AI systems and exerting influence through their economic might and financial resources, then ceasing use of these platforms is consistently advisable and can be initiated at any time.
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