Yahoo has announced its acquisition of Artifact, the AI-powered news app developed by Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. The financial details of the deal remain undisclosed. Following the acquisition, Artifact will cease to exist as a standalone app, and its advanced personalization technology will be seamlessly integrated into various Yahoo platforms, including the Yahoo News app in the upcoming months. It’s noteworthy that Yahoo is the parent company of TechCrunch.
During the transition period, Systrom and Krieger will serve Yahoo in an advisory capacity. This move comes after Artifact had previously announced its decision to wind down operations due to insufficient market opportunities. Originally conceived as a simple news app, Artifact had evolved into something resembling a Twitter alternative, entering a competitive landscape already populated by various challengers, such as Meta’s Threads.
Artifact’s distinguishing feature lies in its AI-driven technology, which learns users’ preferences over time to deliver a personalized feed of news stories. Additionally, the app offered AI tools for news summarization, rewriting clickbait headlines, and surfacing high-quality content. Yahoo anticipates that incorporating these capabilities into its ecosystem will enhance user experiences and provide tailored personalization.
Kat Downs Mulder, Yahoo’s SVP and general manager of Yahoo News, expressed excitement about continuing to develop Artifact’s technology, stating, “Artifact has become a beloved product and we’re thrilled to be able to continue to grow that technology and further our mission of becoming the trusted guide to digital information and the best curator connecting people to the content that matters most to them.”
Systrom emphasized the potential of Artifact’s technology to benefit millions and highlighted Yahoo’s scale as instrumental in realizing their vision. He remarked, “Yahoo brings the scale to help the product achieve what we envisioned while upholding the belief that connecting people to the trusted sources of news and information is as critical as ever.”
