X has incorporated an AI-driven feature known as “Stories on X,” which utilizes Grok—an AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk—to create succinct summaries of trending news and discussions on the platform. As revealed by a post from the company’s engineering team, this feature is currently exclusive to premium subscribers of X.
— Engineering (@XEng) May 3, 2024
Now available: Stories on X, powered by Grok AI
See what the world is talking about with Stories on X, curated by @grok. now available for Premium subscribers in the Explore tab!
web & iOS only for now– let us know your feedback pic.twitter.com/Iv6zk9WugU
The way Grok operates is by analyzing the plethora of user posts on X to produce these brief text snippets. The AI-generated summaries vary in focus; some provide condensed versions of news stories, while others encapsulate the essence of ongoing dialogues within the X community.
For instance, a user shared a screenshot that displayed a range of stories, including a report on Apple’s financial earnings, updates on aid to Ukraine, and a summary titled “Musk, Experts Debate National Debt,” which encapsulated a frank exchange on X between Elon Musk and other notable individuals.
This initiative by X bears a striking resemblance to Twitter’s former feature known as Moments. Moments was a curated collection of significant tweets that highlighted key news events and cultural happenings on Twitter, compiled by a dedicated team of human editors. However, this feature was discontinued in 2022.
Similar to other generative AI tools, the summaries produced by Grok come with a cautionary note. The disclaimer reads: “This story is a summary of posts on X and may evolve over time. Grok can make mistakes, verify its outputs.” This serves as a reminder that while Grok can streamline information, its interpretations are not infallible.
Indeed, Grok’s reliability has been questioned in the past, particularly following an incident where it misinterpreted the phrase “throwing bricks” in a basketball context, leading to a fabricated narrative about NBA player Klay Thompson engaging in a “vandalism spree.”
The introduction of “Stories on X” marks a significant step for the platform, as it seeks to offer users a more efficient way to stay informed about trending topics without the need for extensive browsing. However, the reliance on AI also necessitates a degree of skepticism and verification from users, given the potential for inaccuracies in the AI-generated content.
