Artifact, the AI-powered news reading app developed by Instagram’s co-founders, has been progressively evolving into a more socially interactive platform. Recent updates have introduced features like user profiles, commenting, link sharing, and more. However, the latest addition takes its social dimension to a new level – users can now post their own content directly on Artifact, eliminating the need for external links.
According to Artifact co-founder Mike Krieger, this shift in direction has a touch of Twitter’s essence. It aims to highlight trending stories and discussions akin to the dynamic environment found on Twitter (formerly known as X), where people engage in conversations about noteworthy news or the “main character” of the day – someone receiving significant attention due to their actions or statements.
Krieger spoke about this development at the Code Conference, acknowledging the similarity with Twitter’s watercooler-like experience. He stated, “I think there’s a flavor of that that would be really fun to have in Artifact – like, ‘Is there a story that everybody is coalescing around?'” Nevertheless, he emphasized that Artifact is not positioned as a direct competitor to Twitter/X in terms of providing fast-breaking news, as there are already effective solutions for that purpose. Instead, he envisions Artifact as a platform that surfaces compelling content, subsequently attracting community discussions. In essence, Artifact is aiming to capture the long tail of news, putting it in closer competition with other social news apps like Flipboard.
Krieger stressed that people’s interests extend beyond news, and Artifact aims to cater to these deeper interests. Initially, they even considered avoiding the term “news” in the app’s title, but they realized this would obscure its purpose since news content is a fundamental component of the platform.
Looking ahead, Krieger believes that the real potential lies in connecting people with their long-term interests. He envisions Artifact becoming a platform that fosters these connections, provided they develop the right products and strategies. In summary, Artifact is poised to be the next place where people can engage with their interests on a deeper level, beyond just news.
