Artifact, the news app founded by Instagram creators Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger has announced a major update that brings Reddit-like features to the platform.
The new update enables users to add comments and engage in discussions on news articles, marking the first time Artifact has added a social component to its AI-powered app.
Today we're adding the ability to comment on articles on @ARTIFACT_News. Update your app in the App or Play Store to try it out.
— Mike Krieger (@mikeyk) April 11, 2023
Articles also now get a full-screen treatment once you start scrolling. Looking forward to hearing what you think! pic.twitter.com/qbZq4LkR9R
“My belief is that one of the most interesting things to do around news and written content is to discuss it with others – this feature is the first step in a direction that will make Artifact more social and bring life to a community around news,” Systrom explained.
However, unlike Reddit, the news service will require users to create an account that can be verified with a phone number before they are allowed to comment.
Both founders confirm that this was done to mitigate spam, moderate content within Artifact and prevent the platform from becoming a toxic environment much like other news portal apps. While the company encourages users to use their real names on their account, the app will still allow them to use pseudonyms.
The updated version of the mobile news app also includes a “reputation score” that can be found on users’ profiles, similar to Reddit’s scoring system. This score can increase or decrease based on upvotes and downvotes a user receives from the comments they post.
Comments will be ranked based on a user’s score, their comments’ scores, among other metrics. According to the company’s press release, Artifact will also make use of AI tools to moderate comments in the app, and those that violate the rules and regulations will be removed or even have users banned.
“We believe the combination of these approaches will help us keep discussions more civil,” Systrom shared. “We’re starting off simple here and will learn based on our experience in the first few weeks what works best,” he added.
Artifact, which was launched last February, is a standalone mobile app that uses AI to curate news based on a user's interests. The company hopes to provide more control over what users see in their feed and offer a new lens into what they and their network find most interesting.
The combination of these new features is expected to make the news app more engaging and interactive for users, encouraging a more civil discussion around news and written content.