Grok AI Stylometric Study Tests Elon Musk as Satoshi Nakamoto

A fresh open-source project on GitHub has put to the test the widespread idea that Elon Musk is Satoshi Nakamoto. Three writing markers frequently pointed out by proponents were analyzed in the research.

But the findings indicate that Musk's writing style has barely any resemblance to that of Bitcoin's anonymous inventor.

Results of the Satoshi Stylometric Investigation

Stylometry uses statistical methods to analyze writing patterns in order to determine or contrast authorship. It looks at tendencies like spelling preferences, punctuation use, and how often common words appear.

For years, the notion that Musk is Satoshi has circulated, partly boosted by a declaration from a former SpaceX intern in 2017. Musk himself has consistently stated that he did not create Bitcoin.

Not true. A friend sent me part of a BTC a few years, but I don’t know where it is.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 28, 2017

The researcher behind the satoshi-stylometry repository merged the Grok Bot with stylometric methods to put this to the test. As an ironic twist, Grok is an AI chatbot developed by xAI, a company owned by Musk. The examination centered on three main assertions:

• Double spacing: Satoshi employed two spaces following periods in 95.3% of instances. Musk's unprocessed X posts exhibited no such cases.
• British spelling: Satoshi's writing showed a mix, with British variants appearing in 32.7% of instances. Musk employed those forms just 0.65% of the time.
• Word patterns: Among 66 writers, Musk placed 30th in function-word similarity, a position no nearer than that of an ordinary control writer.

Additionally, the analysis uncovered nothing to suggest that Musk's early writing contained British characteristics. His oldest retrievable writings, dating back to 2006, already employed American spelling.

It is noteworthy that the approach accurately identified Satoshi's text samples in 27 out of 30 cases. This level of precision lends statistical significance to the comparison.

What the Data Suggests About Elon Musk and Satoshi Nakamoto

Based on the data, the probable answer is that he is not.

Curiously, cypherpunk Hal Finney achieved a score nearer to Satoshi's style compared to Musk. On the other hand, Nick Szabo scored more distantly.

Minor distinctions appear as well. Satoshi used "e-mail" 17 times and "email" just three times. Musk, by contrast, employed "email" 65 times and did not once use the hyphenated version.

Additionally, the repository examined X posts from Bitcoin proponent Brad Mills. His writing placed 52nd among 66, so the evidence also fails to back a connection.

Nevertheless, the author highlights a number of qualifications:

• Genre gap: Satoshi composed emails and forum messages, whereas Musk primarily produces tweets.
• Phone formatting: Mobile devices frequently automatically change double spaces, which undermines that particular test.
• Small samples: The research identified only eight instances of Musk's spelling prior to 2013.

Finally, the README characterizes the endeavor as a hobby-level undertaking, not forensic linguistic analysis.

Thus, it is unable to confirm or refute the true identity of Satoshi. For the time being, the creator of Bitcoin remains unknown.