X removes 4,000 creators from monetization in one of its biggest enforcement actions yet, as the platform steps up efforts to stop content theft and engagement manipulation. Powered by its Grok AI model, the latest crackdown is designed to ensure that original creators, not accounts that repost or recycle content, receive creator payouts.
The move signals a major shift in how X is using artificial intelligence to protect its creator ecosystem and improve the fairness of its revenue-sharing program.
Grok AI Is Now Better at Detecting Copied Content
According to X’s Head of Product, Nikita Bier, Grok has become far more effective at identifying duplicate content across the platform.
The upgraded AI can reportedly detect copied posts at around three times the rate of the previous version. It can also recognize reposted videos and duplicated text even when users attempt to disguise them with watermarks, edited intros, added captions, or other small changes.
That means creators who rely on reposting popular content may find it increasingly difficult to avoid detection.
Why X Removed 4,000 Creators From Monetization
As part of the latest enforcement, X removed nearly 4,000 accounts from its creator monetization program in a single day.
The company also revealed that it recently detected around 1.5 million duplicated posts during an internal review. Instead of rewarding the accounts that reposted the content, X says more than $1 million in creator payouts will now be redirected to the original creators whose work was copied.
The platform warned that repeated attempts to bypass its detection systems could lead to permanent removal from the creator revenue-sharing program.
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X Is Also Cracking Down on Engagement Bait
The enforcement isn’t limited to stolen content.
X is also taking action against creators who repeatedly post engagement bait to boost replies and interactions.
One example shared by Bier is the common phrase, “I’ll follow everyone who replies.” According to him, creators who repeatedly publish posts like this may lose access to monetization after multiple violations. Their accounts could also be reviewed by X’s policy team for additional enforcement.
However, the company clarified that similar posts made during a recent period celebrating changes to X’s recommendation algorithm were excluded from this action.
What the Changes Mean for Original Creators
For creators who consistently produce original content, the update could lead to higher earnings over time.
By improving Grok’s ability to detect copied posts, X aims to ensure advertising revenue reaches the people who actually created the content instead of accounts that simply repost trending videos, memes, screenshots, or text posts.
The changes also encourage creators to focus on originality rather than relying on recycled content to generate income.
AI Is Becoming a Bigger Part of Platform Moderation
The latest update highlights how artificial intelligence is evolving beyond content generation.
While Grok is widely known as X’s AI assistant, the company is increasingly using the technology to identify spam, detect bots, enforce platform rules, and now protect creator earnings.
Earlier this year, X said its AI systems were helping identify and suspend more than 200 bot accounts every minute, demonstrating the growing role of automation in keeping the platform healthy.
What Creators Should Do Next
Creators who want to remain eligible for X’s monetization program should focus on publishing original work and avoid engagement bait or reposting content without meaningful transformation or permission.
As Grok AI continues to improve, X appears committed to rewarding originality while making it much harder for copied content to generate revenue.
For creators who invest time in producing unique posts, the latest changes could ultimately create a fairer and more sustainable monetization system on the platform.
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