In the times of the digital transformation, users can find and read the news from many different sources. Beginning from the digital newspapers and magazines like CNN or BBC, through platforms like Twitter or Facebook, or by scrolling news aggregators like Google News or Apple News. But now, a new player is entering the news market, namely, Artifact.
Artifact which name merges articles, facts and artificial intelligence was introduced by the co-founders of Instagram, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, however the application is an individual venture, as they had both departed Facebook in 2018. Artifact is a personalized news provider which uses machine learning to understand your preferences and interests and will enable you to discuss particular articles with your friends. It was even named a TikTok for text, because “The app opens to a feed of popular articles chosen from a curated list of publishers ranging from leading news organizations like The New York Times to small-scale blogs about niche topics. Tap on articles that interest you, and Artifact will serve you similar posts and stories in the future, just as watching videos on TikTok’s For You page tunes its algorithm over time.” as The Verge described the app. The user will be able to publish articles in the feed page and discuss them with friends in public or via private chat. Artifact is based on a different model in comparison with Twitter and Facebook as in their feed the content of people we follow is being shown, and Artifact will provide the staff by only using machine learning regardless of who followed and who your friends are.
Source: The Verge
While the app’s premise of presenting news in a visually appealing way is intriguing, there are some critical concerns about its functioning.
First, there is the issue of credibility. With the current amount of misinformation and fake news spreading rapidly online, it’s crucial for a news app to have a strong vetting process for the articles it showcases. While Artifact claims to use advanced algorithms, we will be able to see in the future, how effective this process really is in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the presented news.
Secondly, there is the question of impartiality. With the app being created by two individuals with a background in social media, there is the risk that their personal biases and ideologies may influence the types of news being presented. Moreover, it raises concerns about the access to the data, and in this instance, it can make significant influence in the political environment.
Thirdly, by using machine learning and creating very personalized feed it can put users in the information bubbles what can lead to creation of extreme orientations and even stronger polarizations of societies.
Last but not least, I would like to mention the possible business model. Artifact plans to enable the advertising function obviously but also considers revenue sharing deals with publishers. It’s a very interesting aspect of providing the news from various platforms and publishers as it may raise concerns about the copyright rights and licenses.
Please let me know, what do you think about this app, and maybe you have any ideas and solutions for the possible problems.