Elon Musk's acquisition of his AI company, xAI, and social media platform X (formerly Twitter) signals a growing convergence of AI and social media, raising concerns about data usage, misinformation, and the consolidation of power. Experts suggest that this move, while financially motivated, could lead to the exploitation of user data for targeted advertising and other commercial purposes. Jan Penfrat, a senior policy advisor at European Digital Rights (EDRi), notes that selling information to advertisers has been a core part of X's business model and could be further amplified through AI integration.

The trend of social media platforms using user data to train AI models is not limited to X. Meta is already leveraging data from Facebook and Instagram to train its Llama AI model, raising similar concerns about privacy and data ethics. Petros Iosifidis, a professor of media and communication policy at City University in London, believes that Musk aims to consolidate his power in the AI field amid intense competition, potentially aligning technological power with political influence, especially given his relationship with Donald Trump.

A significant concern is the potential for biased and inaccurate AI systems resulting from training AI models on data from platforms like X, where misinformation and hate speech have reportedly increased since Musk's takeover. A study indicated a 50% rise in hate speech in the first eight months under Musk's ownership, alongside persistent fake bot accounts. Penfrat warns that using such data to train large language models (LLMs) could exacerbate the creation and spread of fake news and disinformation.

The consolidation of power in Musk's hands, with his ownership of SpaceX, Tesla, xAI, and his political connections, presents a censorship risk, according to Penfrat. He also points out Musk's control over satellite internet infrastructure, which could be used to restrict internet access. Ultimately, Penfrat suggests that individuals concerned about the use of their data and the political influence of these platforms should consider leaving them.