X nears completion of search code rewrite

02/22/26
Source: Social Media Today – Latest News by Andrew Hutchinson. Read the original article

TL;DR Summary of X’s Search Functionality Overhaul Amid AI Challenges

X is undertaking a complete rewrite of its search functionality to address recent reliability issues caused by AI-generated spam and scale problems. The engineering team is also enhancing bot detection to reduce junk content and improve user experience. Despite no quick fix for AI spam proliferation, these efforts aim to maintain the integrity of user data and the platform’s value. This highlights the complex balance between promoting AI tools and mitigating their negative impact on social media.

Optimixed’s Overview: How X is Reinventing Search to Combat AI Spam and Enhance User Experience

Background and Current Challenges

X, formerly known as Twitter, has faced significant challenges with its search functionality becoming increasingly unreliable. Users have reported that search results are often irrelevant or unusable, largely due to the surge in AI-generated content and spam overwhelming the system. This has prompted X’s product team, led by Nikita Bier, to initiate a full rewrite of the legacy search engine.

Technical Overhaul and Bot Detection Improvements

  • Search Rewrite: The new search system is designed to handle the growing influx of AI agents and scale issues more effectively, aiming to deliver more relevant and accurate results.
  • Bot Detection: Alongside search improvements, X is rolling out enhanced bot detection mechanisms to filter out junk content and reduce spam, improving overall platform quality.
  • Engineering Scale: Despite a relatively small team of about 30 engineers handling day-to-day operations, significant progress is being made to address these pressing issues.

Broader Implications of AI on Social Platforms

Bier acknowledges there is no “silver bullet” for the rise of AI spam. The increasing use of AI tools not only burdens platforms but also diminishes the value of user-generated data, which feeds AI models themselves. This creates a feedback loop where AI-generated content can degrade the quality of information on the platform.

Other social media giants like Meta face similar challenges, balancing the promotion of AI-powered features to engage users and investors with the need to control AI overuse that can harm user experience and data integrity.

Future Outlook

X’s approach reflects a broader industry challenge: integrating AI technologies without compromising the core social nature of platforms. The company’s ongoing reforms in search and spam mitigation are critical steps to preserve platform usability and trust as AI continues to evolve.