WASHINGTON - The hashtag #hashtag was trending on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday after platform owner Elon Musk asked people to stop using them.

"Please stop using hashtags. The system doesn't need them anymore and they look ugly," he wrote over a post from a user, which shows an apparently edited response from the platform's AI, Grok, to the question "should I use hashtags or not on X?"

Grok's 'response' in the post takes a notably sardonic tone and encourages users to end the use of hashtags, saying they're a "ticket to nowhere" in the "grand scheme of digital obscurity." The original post has been viewed by more than 16 million users and has over 2,000 likes.

The photo quote tweeted by Musk appears to be altered. When FOX 5 asked Grok the same question, here's the response we got:

"The use of hashtags on X (formerly Twitter) is a topic of debate with varying perspectives based on recent changes and user experiences. Here's an analysis based on available information:

Ultimately, your decision should align with your goals on X, whether that's increasing visibility, engaging with specific communities, or simply sharing content. Monitor your post performance with and without hashtags to see what works best for your audience."

RELATED: Elon Musk debuts 'Grok' AI bot to rival ChatGPT

Hashtags are used on several different social media platforms as a way to help categorize content using keywords, making it easier for users to discover posts related to specific topics. They make a post easily discoverable for people interested in a certain subject.

For years, social media experts have encouraged the use of hashtags to help users increase their reach and engagement. Popular hashtagged words can often become trending topics on X.

While you can use as many hashtags as you'd like in a post, the X Help Center recommends using no more than two per post as a best practice.