Despite the closure, Systrom remains hopeful about the role of technology in supporting news institutions. Since its launch, Artifact introduced several features, such as AI-generated article summaries and the ability to flag and rewrite clickbait articles. However, due to the resource-intensive nature of moderating content, the team decided to discontinue the feature allowing users to add new comments and posts. The core news reading capability of the app will remain operational until the end of February.
Key takeaways:
- Artifact, a news application developed by Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, is shutting down a year after its launch due to lack of wide resonance among users.
- The app, which used AI to propose news tailored to users' preferences, will start winding down its operations, with users losing the ability to add new comments or posts.
- Despite the shutdown, the core news reading capability of the app will remain operational until the end of February.
- Kevin Systrom believes that technology, particularly AI, can play a pivotal role in supporting and fostering the growth of news institutions.