As tech pioneers and billionaires go, Elon Musk has a habit of saying social media should be free and accessible. His recent announcement that Twitter’s API (application programming interface) will be cost-free is no exception. What’s more, he says the perk is designed for a specific purpose: for bots to make “good content.”
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO made the announcement on Twitter, a platform that his 84.4 million followers can’t help but watch and fawn over.
“Twitter API will be free for bots making ‘good content’” he announced.
This declaration is significant because it confirms that bots are not just a passing trend, but have become a legitimate part of the digital mediascape.
Bots have been growing quickly—especially with the burgeoning trend of artificial intelligence (AI). These automated programs are used by developers to automate and perform a variety of tasks, whether it’s scheduling tweets, sending direct messages, or analysing data. Without bots, marketers and data scientists might find it harder to analyse Twitter data in real-time, as well as manipulate it to create interesting insights.
But this isn’t the first time Musk has hinted at the rise of bots and AI. He says the technology can be harnessed for good—to grow the brand or build a better product. In the past, he mentioned that AI will be the “biggest revolution the world has ever seen” and that everyone needs to learn how to use it.
This new announcement should be seen as another reaffirmation of his support of the industry, and how his own companies leverage bots and AI to get ahead.
On the other hand, what does it mean for developers that want to create great content with bots?
One possibility is that bots will become much more efficient and powerful. Instead of writing a script manually, developers will be able to quickly automate their tasks using a bot. This would help them to stay on top of any changes that might occur in the Twitter API.
Another possibility is that the use of bots might become even more commonplace, as developers make more intelligent bots that won’t just repeat the same thing. Musk seems to be pushing for a “bot-like” experience, in which bots are almost indistinguishable from human users.
In the end, it’s hard to predict how far this free Twitter API will take developers. Maybe its impact will be short lived, or perhaps it will be an important stepping stone in the development of future bots. Either way, this news is sure to give developers something to think about.
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