What Indian creators think about Elon Musk's new master plan to end AI slop on X

Published 11 August 2026 · india

When Elon Musk bought and rebranded it to one of the big changes he introduced was the revenue sharing programme. The idea was to encourage

When Elon Musk bought and rebranded it to one of the big changes he introduced was the revenue sharing programme. The idea was to encourage people—anyone and everyone—to post more frequently on the platform. For X, it meant a potential increase in engagement even as people who would posting more often got incentivized by real money. After almost three years, that programme is being retired and, in its place, X is launching the original content rewards. Read Full Story The name itself is a dead giveaway. X wants to reward people—creators—for posting original content. It is also a formal acknowledgment that the content on the Musk-owned platform had gone off the rails recently as people learnt to “gamify” the system to maximize payouts to a point that the programme’s incentives had started to “misalign.” In theory, the new original content rewards programme should help X crack down on these users in particular—those who were allegedly exploiting the platform—while rewarding “the creators who bring original ideas, expertise, creativity, and unique perspectives to X.” Whether or not, it happens in the real world, remains to be seen. Why did X retire the old revenue sharing programme? Under the older programme, it was seemingly a lot easier for anyone to make money from X, even if all their content wasn’t necessarily original. Now, per the new rules, people can earn revenue only through “qualified impressions” on “original content.” Tech creator Noah Cat, who goes by the handle @Cartidise, says the revamp will help cut down on growing AI slop on X. “The change will massively reduce the amount of slop and engagement bait on this platform,” Noah tells India Today Tech. Under the old system, creators were required to have 5 million profile impressions in 90 days. Now, the impressions requirement has gone down to 5,00,000 but there is a twist. The impressions must be verified from paid X subscribers. Also, the impressions on replies will no longer be counted.

Interestingly, creators who were part of the earlier programme have to apply fresh as they are no longer automatically eligible for the new system. This is where Noah Cat believes that the platform could’ve been a bit more lenient. “I think the 5,00,000 verified home timeline impressions requirement is too much and it discourages small creators. It should've been 2,00,000 or something, in my opinion,” Noah notes. Independent tech analyst Yogesh Brar (@heyitsyogesh) says the changes could lead to a significant fall in number of creators getting paid for their posts. “The pool of eligible Premium creators getting paid will likely drop from around 60–70 per cent down to roughly 10 per cent,” according to Brar. The bit that is being carried forward is the number of verified followers one must have to be eligible for a payout. It remains 500 as before. Sanju Choudhury (@saaaanjjjuuu), another tech creator on X, says that the change may leave out some smaller creators who do create original content. “A few small creators who were continuously posting their content with originality are affected since they might not have the 500k verified impressions are nearly impossible for them since their reach is not that good,” Choudhury tells India Today Tech. Are creators going to change the way they post on X? Experts say that despite the changes and stricter qualifying criteria, some people may still be able to game the system. “This platform works on algorithms and baits so one can do that and will become eligible. Original content can be tweaked and copied in a different way too,” Choudhury explains. “If you ask me, I’ll say those who were already a part of it should’ve been the part of new programme already.” Some creators feel strongly that the new guidelines may not be enough to bring a meaningful impact to the platform. Abhishek Yadav (@yabhishekhd) suggests that the change may not do anything meaningful.