Yahoo News is integrating Artifact AI-powered technology into its app in an effort to provide viewers with a more “personalized experience” in news consumption.
The reimagined app, which launches on Thursday, uses AI features to improve news recommendations, reduce clickbait, and save time through takeaways.
“We believe Yahoo News can help people stay informed, make sense of the world around them by getting them more of the stories that matter to them, and even enjoy catching up on the news again,” SVP and GM of Yahoo News said in a statement. “To this end, we are relentlessly focused on offering a news experience that is simple, relevant and useful for each user. This new app is just the beginning.”
Yahoo acquired Artifact, the AI-driven news aggregation platform created by Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, in March. The deal was intended to acquire Artifact’s AI tech, not its staff.
Yahoo noted in April that the AI-powered technology would be “integrated across Yahoo, including the Yahoo News app, in the months to come,” signaling a shift towards AI integration across the company’s products.
The current integration features an AI-powered personalized feed, which is similar to what Artifact was as a stand-alone product. Users are able to select topics and publishers that they want to monitor and cut through what they don’t need.
The new app also includes the ability to block keywords and flag clickbait, in order to better control what shows up within an individual feed. Users are also able to share content seamlessly directly through the app.
Yahoo will also be rolling out a new homepage experience for users, which will feature a more dynamic layout allowing for personalized recommendations and real-time trending topics.
