Yahoo to acquire Artifact, the AI-powered news startup by Instagram co-founders

In a strategic move aimed at enriching its news recommendation algorithm, Yahoo has announced its acquisition of Artifact, the AI-powered news aggregator developed by Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger.

Under the agreement revealed on Tuesday, Artifact will cease to operate as a standalone app, with its AI-powered personalization technology set to be integrated across Yahoo’s platforms, including the Yahoo News app, in the forthcoming months. Both Systrom and Krieger will play advisory roles during this transitional phase, ensuring a smooth integration process.

The acquisition comes on the heels of Artifact’s decision a few months prior to wind down operations, citing a lack of significant market opportunity. Originally conceived as a straightforward news app, Artifact evolved into a platform resembling a Twitter alternative, facing stiff competition from various players, including Meta’s Threads.

With its advanced technology, Artifact has been adept at curating content tailored to users’ preferences, providing them with personalized news feeds. The app also offered several AI tools for news summarization, headline rewriting, and content curation.

Commenting on the acquisition, Kat Downs Mulder, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Yahoo News, expressed excitement about the prospects of integrating Artifact’s technology into Yahoo’s ecosystem, aiming to deliver enhanced content experiences and personalized recommendations to users.

Kevin Systrom echoed this sentiment, highlighting Yahoo’s scale as instrumental in realizing Artifact’s vision of connecting users with trusted sources of news and information on a broader scale. The acquisition underscores Yahoo’s commitment to evolving its news offerings and meeting the evolving needs of its audience in an era of information abundance.