Elon Musk stated that X, previously generally known as Twitter, is transferring to a “small monthly payment system” as a result of “it’s the only way I can think of to combat vast armies of bots.”

In a dialogue on Monday with Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Musk instructed that it might be a lower-tier pricing construction than its $8-per-month Twitter Blue, its premium subscription service.

“We’re wanting it to be just a small amount of money,” Musk stated. “It’s a longer discussion, but in my view this is the only defense against vast armies of bots, because as AI gets very, very good, it’s actually able to pass these sort of CAPTCHA tests better than humans.”

Musk has lengthy complained about X/Twitter’s battle in opposition to bots, however he’s additionally reportedly thought of placing the social media platform behind a paywall since shortly after he bought it final yr.

His statements additionally come as the corporate grapples with a lack of advert income. Musk wrote in July that the corporate had seen an almost 50% drop in advert income plus a heavy debt load.

Netanyahu, in the meantime, urged Musk to attempt to roll again antisemitism on his platform. “It doesn’t stop you from coming out as you have in every possible forum and condemn antisemitism.”

Final month, Musk threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League, claiming that it was making “unfounded accusations” that anti-semitism was being allowed to unfold on the platform as Musk has reinstated accounts. Greenblatt informed CNN that “what’s alarming is the rise of antisemitism across the country. Like, we’ve got to see the big picture here. Literally, anti-Jewish acts have reached historic levels in the United States. The highest number we’ve seen in 40-some-odd years of tracking it.”

In his interview with Netanyahu, Musk stated that “free speech at times means that somebody you don’t like is saying something you don’t like. If you don’t have that, then it’s not free speech. That doesn’t mean some sort of negativity should be pushed upon people, because for the X platform, unless it is interesting, entertaining, engaging, then we will lose users. People will not want to use our system if they find it to be unpleasant.”

Netanyahu requested Musk if it was doable to stop using bots “so at least if you get a crazy guy and a hateful guy, let him be speaking for one voice rather than an army of fake millions.”

“Absolutely,” Musk stated.