X to train AI models with users’ posts
X plans a change to its privacy policy that will allow information posted by users to be used to train its AI models. Musk says X will train AI models only with publicly available information. It will not use “DMs or anything private.” The updated policy states that the company:
may use the information we collect and publicly available information to help train our machine learning or artificial intelligence models for the purposes outlined in this policy.
Musk to remove headlines from news articles shared on X
Musk will remove headlines that are automatically generated as part of the preview image and text that appeasr when news organisations share articles to X. Anyone sharing a link on X—from individual users to publishers—would need to manually add their own text alongside the links they share on the service; otherwise the post will display only an image with no context other than an overlay of the URL. According to a source, the change is being pushed directly by Musk, to reduce the height of tweets and allow more posts to fit on screen. Musk also believes the change will help curb clickbait. Musk:
This is coming from me directly. Will greatly improve the esthetics.
This is coming from me directly. Will greatly improve the esthetics.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 22, 2023
Musk says he will ‘delete’ X’s block feature
In response to a post asking if ‘there is ever a reason to block vs. mute someone,’ Musk says that he will delete the block feature from the app, except for DMs.
Block is going to be deleted as a “feature”, except for DMs. It makes no sense.
Later, a community note is added to Musk’s post, saying that the block feature cannot be removed as it is a required feature for social media apps sold on Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
It makes no sense
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 18, 2023
Musk: Tesla may cut prices in ‘turbulent times’
On an analysts’ call, Musk says that he will cut prices again on Tesla’s vehicles due to “turbulent times”:
One day it seems like the world economy is falling apart, next day it’s fine. I don’t know what the hell is going on. We’re in, I would call it, turbulent times.
Tesla shares fall nearly 5% after Musk’s comments.
Glass house investigation: outcome unknown
The outcome of the probe by Tesla’s board into whether Musk misused the company’s clout to secure special glass for a personal building project (“Project 42”) remains unknown, according to “insiders” at the company. The investigation was launched after a top Musk advisor at Tesla ordered millions of dollars worth of specialized glass for the projected mansion. Nor has the glass-walled residence been constructed, despite the plans for it dating back to at least 2022. Sources at Tesla say they do not know the project’s status, and neither Musk nor any board members have commented about the matter.
Tesla delivers record number of cars after price cuts
Tesla says it delivered a record number of vehicles for the three months from April to June, delivering 466,140 vehicles, 80% higher than last year. The company says it lowered prices in markets including the US, UK and China to compete with rival manufacturers. The company is due to report its financial results for the second quarter on 19 July. Musk,
We’re not ‘starting a price war’, we’re just lowering prices to enable affordability at scale.
Twitter users complain after Musk limits numbers of posts they can read
Musk says that, due to AI companies scraping Twitter for data, rate limits will be placed on users that will only allow them to view a restricted number of tweets. Initially, Musk sets the limits to 6000 posts/day for verified accounts, 600 posts for unverified acounts and 300 posts/day for new unverified accounts. Six hours later he later updates the rate limits to 8000 posts/day for verified users, 800 for verified, and shortly thereafter increases it to 10,000 for vervified users and 1000 for unverified.
To address extreme levels of data scraping & system manipulation, we’ve applied the following temporary limits: – Verified accounts are limited to reading 6000 posts/day – Unverified accounts to 600 posts/day – New unverified accounts to 300/day
Now to 10k, 1k & 0.5k
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 1, 2023
Many users, who were not aware of the change, complained that they could not access tweets and were seeing a ‘rate limite exceeded’ message instead.
I was on this site for 5 mins and got this.
Thanks for my time back. I might be done. pic.twitter.com/1L0oFK5oJk
— Steve Cavendish (@scavendish) July 1, 2023
Musk suspends ExplainThisBob
Musk suspends a meme Twitter account linked to the cryptocurrency Bob Token, saying it could be a “scam crypto account.” Some Twitter users who hold Bob Token (BOB) and those utilizing the @explainthisbob reply bot voice their opposition to the suspension, and some in the crypto community who disagree with Musk’s decision created a hashtag “FREEBOB,” demanding a reconsideration of the suspension. BOB’s value is down by 30% following the suspension. Musk:
This sure looks like a scam crypto account. If so, it will be suspended.
This sure looks like a scam crypto account. If so, it will be suspended.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 18, 2023
Report: Autopilot involved in 17 fatalities, 736 crashes
According to NHTSA reports, Tesla’s Autopilot self-driving software was involved in 17 fatalities and 736 crashes. NHTSA began collecting the data after a federal order in 2021 required automakers to disclose crashes involving driver-assistance technology. NHTSA says a report of a crash involving driver-assistance does not itself imply that the technology was the cause. It is also unclear if the NHTSA’s data covers every driver assisted crash. Of the 17 fatal crashes, four involved motorcycles. NHTSA has received more than a dozen reports of Teslas running into parked emergency vehicles while in Autopilot
The increase in crashes coincides with Tesla’s rollout of Full Self-Driving, which has expanded from around 12,000 users to nearly 400,000 in just over a year. Nearly two-thirds of all driver-assistance crashes that Tesla has reported to NHTSA occurred in the past year. Tesla clams that, when comparing miles driven per collision, Full Self-Driving crashes at a rate at least five times lower than vehicles in normal driving. However, this figure is uncorroborated by external agencies. NHTSA:
NHTSA has an active investigation into Tesla Autopilot, including Full-Self Driving. NHTSA reminds the public that all advanced driver assistance systems require the human driver to be in control and fully engaged in the driving task at all times. Accordingly, all state laws hold the human driver responsible for the operation of their vehicles.
Pentagon buys Starlink terminals for Ukraine
The Pentagon signs a contract to buy Starlink terminals and services to aid the Ukrainian military in its war against Russia. Starlink has previously donated terminals to the Ukrainian war effort. Shortly after the country was invaded, Starlink donated 3,667 terminals to Ukraine and the country had approximately 22,000 of them as of December, with funding secured to receive 10,000 more. The terminals access a network of satellites to provide internet and help maintain stable communications and internet connections for the Ukrainian military despite the attacks on their telecommunications infrastructure. Details about terminal costs, specific capabilities, contracts, and partners involved in the deal were not revealed for “security reasons.”
Musk: Next Starship launch in two months
Musk says the next Starship launch will take place in two months, after tested upgrades are made to the launchpad that was destroyed during the first launch.
Major launchpad upgrades should be complete in about a month, then another month of rocket testing on pad, then flight 2 of Starship
Major launchpad upgrades should be complete in about a month, then another month of rocket testing on pad, then flight 2 of Starship
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 27, 2023
Neuralink human trials approved
Neuralink announces that it has received FDA approval for human trials. Musk congratulates the team in a tweet.
We are excited to share that we have received the FDA’s approval to launch our first-in-human clinical study! This is the result of incredible work by the Neuralink team in close collaboration with the FDA and represents an important first step that will one day allow our technology to help many people. Recruitment is not yet open for our clinical trial. We’ll announce more information on this soon!
Congratulations Neuralink team! https://t.co/AWZGf33UDr
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 26, 2023
Ford to use Tesla Superchargers
Ford strikes deal with Tesla to allow its electric vehicle owners to gain access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers in North America in early 2024. This makes Ford the first major automaker to embrace Tesla’s proprietary charging standard and gives the company access to the biggest network of high-speed Superchargers in the United States. Tesla will provide an adapter to Ford EVs fitted with the Combined Charging System (CCS), giving them port access to Tesla’s V3 Superchargers. Ford will equip future EVs with Tesla’s own charging standard, removing the need for an adapter for direct access to Tesla Superchargers, starting in 2025. Pricing will be “competitive”. On Twitter Spaces, Musk tells Ford CEO Jim Farley:
The idea is that we don’t want the Tesla supercharger network to be like a walled garden. We want it to be something that is supportive of electrification and sustainable transport in general.
Farley:
We love the locations, we love the reliability, your routing software, the ease of use of the connector, the reliability of it. Tesla storms through the [Japanese bullet] train station like 300 kilometers per hour Shinkansen. We’re learning a lot.
Farley said earlier at a Morgan Stanley forum that:
[O]n the infrastructure side, I think it’s room for some collaboration between the auto companies, which is totally unnatural for us….the first step is to work together in a way we haven’t, probably with the new EV brands and the traditional old companies…. It seems totally ridiculous that we have an infrastructure problem, and we can’t even agree on what plug to use. I think the first step is to work together in a way we haven’t, probably with the new EV brands and the traditional auto companies. I think you’ll see Ford do that just because that’s what kind of company we are.
Coming soon: More locations to charge your Ford® electric vehicle. Thousands of them. @Tesla https://t.co/FayrARjD3s pic.twitter.com/CtDEcqvdwu
— Ford Motor Company (@Ford) May 25, 2023
Starlink announces in-motion use
Starlink announces that its satellite broadband service can be used on vehicles and whilst in motion, with a tweet showing the antenna on an RV driving through the desert. The company is offering 220 Mbps download, starting at £247/month with a one-time hardware fee of £2,410. The company says School buses in Cocononino Country, Arizona are among the first to use the service, enabling students who ride the bus an hour to and from school each day to stay connected and complete their homework. Musk shares the announcement, adding:
And works almost everywhere on Earth with global roaming enabled!
And works almost everywhere on Earth with global roaming enabled! https://t.co/QmglKYRpDz
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 23, 2023
Musk: Publishers can charge Twitter users for article views
Musk announces that Twitter will allow media publishers to charge users for access to their content with just one click. The exact percentage of each transaction that will go to Twitter and the conditions for media publishers have not yet been disclosed. Musk claims that this will be beneficial for both media organisations and the public.
Rolling out next month, this platform will allow media publishers to charge users on a per article basis with one click. This enables users who would not sign up for a monthly subscription to pay a higher per article price for when they want to read an occasional article. Should be a major win-win for both media orgs & the public.
Rolling out next month, this platform will allow media publishers to charge users on a per article basis with one click.
This enables users who would not sign up for a monthly subscription to pay a higher per article price for when they want to read an occasional article.…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 29, 2023
Dead celebrities get Twitter blue checks
Twitter adds blue checks to the accounts of numerous dead celebrities, including some that have been inactive for years. Paul Walker, Kobe Bryant, Anthony Bourdain, Chadwick Bosman and Norm Macdonald are among the celebrities whose accounts have been “verified” posthumously. Whether this is another “trolling” stunt by Musk remains unclear.
Twitter removes blue ticks from non-paying users
Twitter removes blue ticks from as many as 300,000 accounts, including journalists, athletes and public figures, who have not paid a monthly fee to get one. High-profile users who lost their blue ticks include Beyoncé, Pope Francis, Oprah Winfrey and Donald Trump. A Twitter Blue subscription costs $8 a month for individuals to a starting price of $1,000 monthly to verify an organization, plus $50 monthly for each affiliate or employee account.
Musk announces Starship blowtorch
Following Musk’s tweet about a “Mini Starship with flame,” SpaceX announces the pre-sale of a collectable, Starship-themed blowtorch. The $175 burner has a safety lock as well as a windproof, adjustable flame and is being marketed for things like melting cheese and lighting candles. As one advert puts it:
It’s collectible. It’s functional. And it burns, burns, burns. The Starship Torch.
Mini Starship with flame!https://t.co/VGKHyaikTd
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 17, 2023
Musk: Subscriptions replacing Super Follows on Twitter
Musk says content creators on Twitter will now make money through Subscriptions rather than Super Follows.
Apply to offer your followers subscriptions of any material, from longform text to hours long video! Just tap on “Monetization” in settings.
But, the subscription program appears mostly unchanged from Super Follows, which Twitter originally introduced as a way for creators to charge for exclusive tweets. Creators can charge $2.99, $4.99 or $9.99 a month, with exclusive content including subscriber-only chats in Twitter Spaces and special badges for subscribers.
Musk also says Twitter will help promote creators’ content (he does not elaborate on how) and will not take a cut of the revenue for “the next 12 months.” Instead, creators will get all that remains after app store and payment processing fees: about 70 percent of their earnings from mobile and 92 percent from web-based subscriptions.
For the next 12 months, Twitter will keep none of the money.
You will receive whatever money we receive, so that’s 70% for subscriptions on iOS & Android (they charge 30%) and ~92% on web (could be better, depending on payment processor).
After first year, iOS & Android fees…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 13, 2023
Musk: Twitter For You tab, polls to be restricted to verified users
Musk announces that from April 15th only Twitter verified accounts will be eligible to be in For You recommendations and polls. Musk says this change is to stop ‘advanced AI bot swarms taking over’.
Starting April 15th, only verified accounts will be eligible to be in For You recommendations. The is the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over. It is otherwise a hopeless losing battle. Voting in polls will require verification for same reason.
When some users question the decision, he says:
My prediction is that this will be the only platform you can trust
Starting April 15th, only verified accounts will be eligible to be in For You recommendations.
The is the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over. It is otherwise a hopeless losing battle.
Voting in polls will require verification for same reason.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 27, 2023