The question of how best to deliver news online has been a tricky one. With some algorithms favouring controversy, the reliability of many online sources has come into question over the years. Readers having to filter out fake news and disinformation has in many ways become the norm. However, the founders of Instagram, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, are claiming to have a solution to this issue. Their new app, Artifact, is an AI-based news aggregation programme with a curated feed of both left and right leaning publications — and they say they will be removing any content that promotes falsehoods.
While the app is mainly a text based news feed, it does have a social component as well. You can follow users in order to view the articles that they’ve been reading and see their commentary. The app will also have a private message system for users to discuss current events and what they’ve been reading. The developers are experimenting with both advertising-based and subscription-based forms of revenue.
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The use of AI for an app like this is nothing new. In fact, AI-based social media algorithms have been very successful with users so far. The biggest example of this is TikTok, whose For You Page has long been the envy of other social media sites. Users do not have to seek out content on their own, but are rather presented with a custom lineup of content based on what they’ve enjoyed in the past. In the same way, Artifact presents users with a range of articles and provides recommendations based on what they click on and read.
Artifact has the potential to attract users who are looking for an alternative to Twitter for their news source. Since Elon Musk’s purchase of the app and subsequent changes to how it functions, many Twitter users have migrated to other platforms such as Mastodon and Hive Social. However, these social media sites still have a significantly smaller user base than Twitter does. For those who are more interested in current events than the social aspect of Twitter, Artifact could provide a worthy alternative.
If you are interested in trying out Artifact, unfortunately it is not yet available to the public. However, if you visit their website, you can sign up to join the waiting list for the beta version on IOS and Android.
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