As highlighted above, the new ‘Professional’ tweet API providing supplies builders with entry to 1,000,000 tweets per 30 days, on the low, low worth of $5k per 30 days – or $60k each year. Which, for some, might be an enchancment than the present entry factors, which have already priced many builders and teachers out of their numerous initiatives. However nonetheless, $5k per 30 days for 1,000,000 tweets is quite a bit – particularly when Twitter’s free API entry, up until February this yr, supplied builders with related entry to this, freed from price.

Twitter’s new API entry prices, which it’s carried out to fight the creation of bot armies, are a big leap on the earlier prices, with Elon and Co. additionally seeking to do all that they’ll to herald extra income for the corporate.

The up to date pricing instantly noticed many public service instruments, like transport alerts, announce that they’d be canceling their automated Twitter updates – although Twitter has since introduced that authorised providers like these will nonetheless be capable to entry the API without cost.

However that doesn’t cowl many different bot instruments and providers that additionally present worth, and the chance in Twitter’s strategy is that it may develop into a much less helpful utility in consequence, which can finally affect utilization.

However as famous, Musk sees the API as a possible vector for bot swarms. And as with Twitter Blue, Elon’s hoping that by tacking on additional prices to such entry, that’ll successfully make it cost-prohibitive for bot creators to maintain working their schemes.

Although there may be one other potential consideration in Musk’s API and entry worth rises, which is extra aligned along with his personal private grievances.

Twitter’s additionally taking over Microsoft over its use of Twitter knowledge, through API entry, which it claims is past the restrictions imposed inside Microsoft’s authorised utilization. Microsoft is now partnered with OpenAI, an organization that Elon as soon as had a big funding in, and Musk’s view is that OpenAI has basically stolen Twitter knowledge to coach its LLM programs, with a view to gasoline generative AI instruments like ChatGPT.

The transient abstract is that Elon gave OpenAI thousands and thousands of {dollars} to help in its growth, then sought to take over as CEO of the corporate in 2018, with a view to hasten its progress. OpenAI rebutted Musk’s provide, which then noticed Elon flip his again on it, and pull all of his future funding pledges. However OpenAI had already taken some thousands and thousands from Musk – and now that OpenAI is making massive cash from its generative AI instruments, Elon is outwardly not glad that he isn’t going to get a dime of that consumption, regardless of his early involvement.

This could possibly be one other consider his determination to hike up the worth of Twitter API entry, with a view to prohibit different corporations from taking Twitter’s proprietary knowledge, and profiting off of his content material in an identical approach.

Elon’s additionally constructing his personal generative AI mannequin, which might be freed from ‘woke bias’, and every thing thought-about, it’s not past the scope of chance that Elon’s pushing up the prices of Twitter API entry with a view to fend off his numerous enterprise rivals.

(Observe that Twitter can also be asking API subscribers to take away any beforehand downloaded knowledge, or face additional authorized recourse.)

Although the primary impetus appears to be Twitter’s have to diversify its revenue with subscriptions, API entry and promoting ideally settling right into a extra equal share of the corporate’s income pie.

Which appears unlikely to be the tip end result, however Elon’s making an attempt new issues – and perhaps there’s sufficient potential indicators there to maintain pushing, with a view to maximize Twitter’s alternatives. Or perhaps there’s not, and finally, Twitter must stroll these modifications again. That strategy is seemingly a part of what’s made Musk profitable, his willingness to try to fail in public, and perhaps, it’ll current potential new alternatives for the enterprise.

Twitter’s new API pricing system is now in impact.