Instagram Co-Founders Betting On AI For New Social Newsreader App

Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger have announced the development of Artifact, a personalized newsreader that has a running waitlist of users who are eagerly anticipating the platform’s future.

Reports suggest that Artifact will be a modern-day Google Reader -- a newsreader app that launched back in 2005 and was shuttered in 2013.

However, like most popular apps today, Artifact uses machine learning to personalize the user's experience and includes social elements, which may provoke conversation about specific articles.

According to The Verge, Artifact will present a curated selection of news stories from both major and minor publishers that will become user-specific over time.

“Users who come in from the waitlist today will see only that central ranked feed,” wrote The Verge, adding that beta users are testing two additional features, including a feed showing users articles and commentary posted by people they follow, as well as a direct-message inbox to discuss posts privately with friends.

Artifact has no lack of competition, especially considering the endless amount of apps providing social messaging services. Not only are there specific newsreader apps like Flipboard, SmartNews, Newsbreak, plus built-in news apps like Apple News and Google News, but Meta’s Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram also facilitate similar user objectives.

Twitter would likely be Artifact’s most direct competitor if Elon Musk's takeover were more successful. 

However, Systrom and Krieger, who left Meta in 2018, are betting on machine-learning technology to give Artifact an edge over its numerous competitors.

For now, Artifact's website is inviting people with a U.S. phone number to sign up to be a beta tester.

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