Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, the co-founders of Instagram, have launched a brand new app called Artifact. This revolutionary software uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to provide users with a personalized news feed. Currently, an invitation code is required to access the app; however, individuals can join a waitlist in order to gain early access.
Systrom and Krieger left Instagram back in 2018 after working for eight years at the Facebook-owned company. Although they publicly stated that their departure was due to their desire to explore creativity and curiosity again, tensions between the two co-founders and CEO Mark Zuckerberg were also reported. Last year, the duo debuted a website dedicated to tracking the spread of COVID-19.
The introduction of AI into this application highlights its central role in today's social media platforms. TikTok, another popular short-form video app, utilizes algorithms to suggest videos that they believe viewers may enjoy on their “For You” page. Platformer’s Casey Newton interviewed Systrom about Artifact which she described as “a kind of TikTok for text, though you might also call it Google Reader reborn as a mobile app or maybe even a surprise attack on Twitter”. The personalised feed offers reads from reliable sources such as The New York Times while simultaneously taking note of what articles are being read in order to suggest related stories later on. Artifact also enables users to remark on current events with friends through private direct messages where everyone can add their two cents worth without making it public knowledge.
However, AI-based content recommendation systems are not without drawbacks – most notably mental health concerns linked with compulsive scrolling known as ‘doomscrolling’ for negative news stories and content associated with eating disorders being fed into teen user's feeds by TikTok last year according to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal . There is also stiff competition from other personalised news apps such as Zite and Pulse which have failed to gain sufficient traction over time.
In conclusion, whilst Artifact appears set upon revolutionising social media networks by leveraging AI technology with personalised news feeds and private conversations between contacts – there are still questions surrounding its efficacy when compared against other similar apps and whether or not introducing AI into these systems will lead to more harm than good for users' mental health. Only time will tell if this project will succeed or suffer the same fate as many that came before it but one thing is certain – this development has certainly captured people’s attentions since its announcement earlier this week!