New York
DailyExpertNews
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More than four years after Instagram’s founders left the company, they’re back with a new app.
Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger announced Tuesday the launch of Artifact, an app that promises “a personalized news feed” powered by artificial intelligence.
In an Instagram post, Krieger said he and Systrom have been working with a talented team for over a year to launch the service. “We are gradually letting people in as we scale,” Krieger wrote. A waiting list to join opened to the public on Tuesday.
Unlike Instagram, the app focuses more on articles than photos. Artifact will recommend content based on interests and allow for discussion with friends, according to Platformer, which first reported the launch. A main feed shows popular articles from major media organizations to smaller bloggers, and a user’s feed becomes more personal based on what they click on.
Artifact did not respond to DailyExpertNews’s request for comment on more details.
The launch comes at a time of renewed activity in the social media world. In the wake of turmoil and uncertainty on Twitter under new owner Elon Musk, a number of newer services have found traction to help users get news and personal updates in a feed. Meanwhile, TikTok’s meteoric rise continues to push numerous apps, including Instagram, to copy its features.
Platformer described Artifact as “TikTok for text” and possibly “even a surprise attack on Twitter”.
After co-launching Instagram in 2010, Systrom and Krieger sold the app to Meta in 2012 for $1 billion. desire to further integrate it into Facebook.
“One of the most important features of Instagram is its independence and uniqueness from Facebook. The founders have been watching that closely,” Debra Aho Williamson, chief analyst at eMarketer, told DailyExpertNews at the time.
According to Platformer, Systrom and Krieger have since created a venture focused on social apps of the future. Artifact is the company’s first product.
