Artifact is an AI-driven News App founded by the co-founders of Instagram.
After handing over Instagram to Facebook (known as Meta) for $1 billion, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger have their first product, Artifact.
Furthermore, Kevin Systrom sees Artifact as “The Future of Social,” which can be a step toward next-generation Social Apps.
Continue reading the article to learn more about the App’s working model, features, and limitations.
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What is Artifact App? Its Features And Limitations
Artifact is a personalized News App that uses machine learning and algorithmic predictions to understand and share your interests with your friends.
Kevin Systrom, the co-founder of the App, describes it as “a personalized news feed using the latest AI tech.”
Furthermore, Kevin Systrom says Artifact App is “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.”
Similar to TikTok, algorithms for personalizing your content and machine learning are the basis of the App.
Now, let’s look into the new features available in the App.
Features of Artifact App
The new version of the Artifact App provides new tools and features which help you personalize your experience, visualize your Reading History and See what’s popular in your network.
Further, let’s explore their features in detail.
1. For You Page (See What’s Popular in Your Network)
The Artifact App will find the most popular content among people you know, and the “For You Page” will display articles you will most likely read.
By connecting with your contacts, you can find a special “People In Your Network” badge in articles several contacts read.
Furthermore, you can look into the Categories you select, like Books, Arts, Businesses and many more.
2. Headlines
You can discover exciting articles and stay on top of important headlines.
Artifact App learns your interests and brings you the best articles in the headlines.
Furthermore, it has a thumbs-down icon and a Share button on every article you read.
You can share articles with your contacts using the Share Button.
Moreover, the Artifact App will filter out articles you have given the “thumbs-down” icon and show fewer.
3. Reading History and Your Stats
After signing up, the App will tell you, “Read 25 articles for Artifact to personalize your feed better. Track progress on your profile.”
You can look into your Reading History once you review the articles.
Furthermore, it will track your Reading History, and your Stats will display your top Categories, Publishers and Topics.
You can also add articles in Read Later as a Bookmark to continue reading later.
Limitations of Artifact App
The Artifact App appears to be very promising. However, it has a lot of limitations and here are some of them;
- It is still in beta version, and many aspects are under construction.
- It has no features like a direct message box.
- It is not available in Windows or Mac/Web view.
- Articles come exclusively from corporate news organizations. So, there is no local news and no special interest topics.
How Does The Artifact App Work?
The Artifact App uses machine learning algorithms to tailor a personalized news feed for each user.
Additionally, it uses the Transformer, which was invented by Google in 2017.
The Transformer helped machine-learning systems improve much faster, leading directly to the recent release of ChatGPT.
The Transformer also created possibilities for social networks. It applies the same approach as Tiktok but for the text.
Here’s How It Works
When you sign up, the Artifact App requests you to select ten topics to personalize your news feed and some paid subscriptions like “The New York Times” and “Washington Post.”
Then, it creates a “For You” page like in Tiktok and tracks how many articles you have read.
If you read more about Cryptography and Arts, it will show more of these articles.
Furthermore, it uses Transformer, which offers a mechanism to understand language using fewer inputs than required.
The App has reader levels, which increase with the number of articles you read.
Its machine-learning systems will primarily measure how long you spend reading about various subjects.
Furthermore, the AI in the App is not only concerned with the contents but also concerns on mental health.
“Artifact will also remove individual posts that promote falsehoods,” Systrom says.
However, many aspects of the Artifact App are under construction, and we may see various updates shortly.
How Can You Access The Artifact App?
When Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger originally released the App, a waitlist form and phone number were necessary.
However, since the last update on March 1, it is now open to the public and available both in Android and iOS.
Follow the steps below to access the App;
- Go to “Artifact.news” and Download the App.
- Select Ten or more Topics and Add Paid Subscriptions.
- You can Save Your Profile by adding a phone number.
However, adding a phone number is not mandatory to access its features and articles.
The Bottom Line
The Artifact App uses AI and algorithmic technology to personalize your feed.
You can easily access the App by installing it on your mobile devices without any waitlist or signup.
However, it is still in the beta version, and many aspects are under construction.
