Yahoo Bags Instagram Founders’ News App to Supercharge its AI Recommendations
In a move to bolster its artificial intelligence capabilities, tech giant Yahoo has acquired Artifact – the news aggregation app developed by Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger.
Launched in early 2023, Artifact gained rapid popularity for its intuitive design and highly personalized news recommendations powered by advanced AI. However, despite rave reviews for its product, the app struggled to achieve vast scale with its small team.
After exploring options, founders Systrom and Krieger announced plans to sunset the app earlier this year. But their innovative work has now found a new home at Yahoo, which will integrate Artifact’s powerful personalization technology across its portfolio.
As one of the original pioneers of combining human and algorithmic curation, Yahoo is uniquely positioned to maximize Artifact’s potential. With its huge existing userbase, the integration promises to deliver hyper-relevant content to more people than ever.
Kat Downs Mulder, SVP of Yahoo News, expressed excitement about continuing to evolve Artifact’s beloved experience. Systrom also shares hopes that the app’s intuitive foundations can now have broader impact.
Though its independent journey ends, Artifact leaves a strong legacy. Its trailblazing work in artificial intelligence will live on – helping Yahoo usher in a new era of customized experiences that keep audiences engaged.
