The app was well-known for its Reddit-like posting capabilities and AI-powered features.
Artefact, the popular news app that was created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, who were also co-founders of Instagram, is going to be discontinued less than a year after it was first released. According to a letter that was published on Medium, Systrom stated that the “core news reading” elements of the app would remain accessible online until the end of February, but that it would immediately remove the ability to upload comments and posts.
The app was well-known for its AI-centric features, as well as its ability to remark and post in a manner similar to that of Reddit. In addition, its founding team was well-known. The app had garnered accolades from journalists who enjoyed features that were beneficial to reporters, such as specialised author pages, and it had been highly promoted in the app stores of both Apple and Google.
On the other hand, it appears that Systrom and Krieger have met many of the same challenges as other inventors of buzzy news applications before them after a year of working together. According to what Systrom wrote, “We have built something that a core group of users love, but we have come to the conclusion that the market opportunity is not large enough to warrant continued investment in this manner.”
In his note, Systrom made a veiled reference to the possibility that he would, at some point in the future, undertake a new project that is centred on artificial intelligence. According to what he wrote, “I am personally excited to continue building new things, though only time will tell what those new things might ultimately be.” We are living in an exciting moment in which artificial intelligence is causing changes in virtually everything that we come into contact with, and the possibilities for new ideas appear absolutely infinite.
In the meantime, Artefact enthusiasts have a few more weeks to continue reading the headlines before the app is permanently removed from the market.