Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger have created a new app called “Artifact”. It is an AI-based news application that would provide personalized news feed for users, based on their interests and preferences, somewhat like TikTok.
The name ‘Artifact’ has been derived from words: articles, facts, and artificial intelligence. Currently, the users need an invitation to try out the app. They can also sign up for the waitlist. The app is available for both Android and iOS.
Systrom and Krieger, both announced their new venture together on social media platforms. “It’s been a minute, but @mikeyk and I are back at it with Artifact – a personalized news feed using the latest ai tech. Visit artifact.news to sign up and join the community,” Systrom wrote on Twitter.
Reportedly, Artifact will show users a feed of curated news stories from publishers. Based on users’ clicks and interactions, the app will start showing similar stories. The app also includes some features to follow people and add commentary about the article. Users will also be able to discuss the news personally with their friends and family, using a direct messaging feature. Artifact has its main focus on the text, and on artificial intelligence to create a personalized experience for the reader.
Systrom and Krieger moved on from Instagram in 2018, due to tension with their parent company, Facebook. During COVID-19, they launched a website to track the spread of COVID-19.
Artifact comes at a time when social media users often turn up against ‘algorithms’ and recommendations based on AI. Last year, Instagram faced major backlash from its users for displaying more content from people they don’t follow. This forced the company to walk back some of its features.
