Fact checks and AI questions on X are intended to promote interaction and curb misinformation. Sounds good, right? But critics sense manipulation and fear that it will boost hate speech rather than slow it down.
The controversial social media platform At first glance, the features seem to have potential. But this innovation could also be another piece of the puzzle in an increasingly controversial strategy from X and, more recently, the tech giant Meta.
Just yesterday it was announced that Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg was relaxing the moderation rules, which could allow radical and controversial content to become more widespread. This is very reminiscent of X under platform owner Elon Musk. The network has been following a similar course for some time and, according to critics, promotes political polarization and problematic content.
Grok for everyone:
How X-AI assistance is shaking up the market
AI-generated questions at X – this is how it works
One of the new functions is automatically generated questions that are pre-formulated and offered to users under certain content. If they are interested, they can then click on the question and receive an AI-generated answer.
How does that work? xAI’s AI chatbot Grok analyzes the post and then creates a suitable response. But while some see the feature as a practical support, others find it annoying and unhelpful.
Social media expert Matt Navarra shared the first screenshots of the feature on threads showing how X implements the function. Users see one or more questions under selected posts that can be answered with one click. Grok then analyzes the post and generates a response.
With this feature, X is moving further towards AI-driven moderation, which, similar to previous measures on the platform, is likely to attract both praise and criticism.
X relies on AI fact checking for posts
The controversial network X is also testing a new feature to improve posts via Grok AI. As a screenshot shows, the tool includes various options such as “proofreading”, “shortening”, “in the style of a personality” – and particularly explosive: “correct facts”.
This innovation could be a much-needed feature to reduce misinformation, but it also raises questions about the reliability and potential manipulation of content. As Navarra notes, this feature is both necessary and problematic—for who decides which “facts” are corrected?
New AI features on X: Between moderation, manipulation and “freedom of expression”
With these new features, X wants to increase interaction on the platform and help users create high-quality content. The proposed questions are intended to encourage them to think more deeply about the contributions. But not everyone is convinced.
i dont like this at all pic.twitter.com/PBbyIP9XEx
— Kylie Robison (@kyliebytes) January 7, 2025
In her post on X, Kylie Robison warns that question AI could increase hate speech. She shares an example where the AI suggests a factual question under a clearly offensive and discriminatory post. She comments that she is concerned about how this feature could facilitate the spread of hate speech and further encourage interaction with problematic content.
These examples illustrate the challenges of AI-powered systems: They cannot reliably detect problematic content and could inadvertently expand their reach. In combination with the “correct facts” function, it becomes clear how much X intervenes in the content design of the platform – a step that harbors both opportunities and risks.
Big algorithm update on X:
Entertainment statt Hass?
AI and algorithms: controlling content or reinforcing polarization?
X’s new features are part of a broader strategy that is changing the user experience and content control. While a new algorithm focuses more on entertainment and supposedly restricts hateful content, the platform under Elon Musk remains a stage for controversial freedom of expression, which often leads to the spread of controversial content.
Meta has also come under criticism since Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that he would relax the moderation rules for political content. Critics warn that this could not only encourage hate speech, but also further fuel polarizing debates.
Whether X’s AI-powered features enrich discussions or reinforce problematic content remains questionable. Without thoughtful adjustments, they could become another example of how social networks deliberately influence public debate.
Source: onlinemarketing.de
