Elon Musk officially announces the transition of Twitter to "X.com"

Friday 17 May 2024 - 13:18

In a move that marks the culmination of a transformative journey, Elon Musk, the visionary billionaire, has officially announced the rebranding of the once-familiar Twitter platform as 'X.com'. This announcement signifies the completion of a comprehensive identity overhaul, as all core systems of the social network, formerly known as Twitter, have now been activated under the enigmatic 'X.com' domain.

While the sleek, monochrome 'X' logo had been gracing users' screens since late July, the site's address had remained 'Twitter.com' until now. The X.com domain holds historical significance for Musk, as it was the original name and website of the online banking service he founded in 1999, which later evolved into the ubiquitous PayPal payment platform.

The symbolic 'X' has permeated Musk's diverse ventures, from the aerospace company SpaceX to the holding corporation X Corp, which acquired Twitter, and even the artificial intelligence (AI) startup xAI, unveiled in mid-July. Musk's affinity for the enigmatic symbol extends beyond the realm of business, as he bestowed the name 'X Æ A-12' upon one of his children.

In a strategic move to harness the power of AI, X (formerly Twitter) has announced the availability of Grok, xAI's inaugural generative AI model, for European 'X Premium' subscribers as of Thursday. Grok distinguishes itself by aiming to infuse its responses with a touch of humor, a departure from the more conventional AI assistants.

"Once the European elections are over (June 6-9, 2024), we will proceed with the deployment of contextualized trends for all users," X stated, indicating an imminent expansion of AI-driven features for its global user base.

Since his acquisition of Twitter in 2022 for a staggering $44 billion, Musk has consistently alluded to his ambitious, albeit nebulous, vision of transforming the platform into a multi-faceted "super app," offering financial services akin to China's ubiquitous WeChat. The advent of OpenAI's groundbreaking ChatGPT interface has ignited a fierce competition among tech titans, with Microsoft, Google, Meta (Facebook), and startups like Anthropic and Mistral AI vying for dominance in the generative AI arena.

As the curtain rises on this new chapter, the rebranding of Twitter as 'X' symbolizes a profound shift, one that transcends mere aesthetics and delves into the realms of innovation and disruption. With Musk at the helm, 'X' stands poised to reshape the digital landscape, leveraging the cutting-edge capabilities of AI to redefine the very nature of online experiences.

In an era where technology is rapidly evolving, the metamorphosis of Twitter into 'X' represents a bold and daring step into uncharted territories, leaving users and industry observers alike captivated by the boundless potential that lies ahead.