In a move to enhance its mobile news app, Yahoo has unveiled a revamped version powered by the underlying code of Artifact, a short-lived news app startup co-founded by Instagram's Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. The acquisition of Artifact earlier this year, followed by Yahoo's integration of its AI capabilities, aims to provide users with personalized news content.

Artifact, launched in 2023, utilized artificial intelligence algorithms to process user behavior and offer highly personalized news articles based on their interests. However, due to limited growth, the Artifact team made the decision to shut down the service after a year of operation.

Yahoo's recent launch of the new Yahoo News app, available for free download on iOS and Android, marks a swift resurrection of the Artifact technology. With over 185 million monthly visitors, Yahoo News is the largest news platform in the US. By leveraging Artifact's machine intelligence engine, Yahoo aims to strengthen its app's personalization features and enter the AI-powered news landscape.

The redesigned Yahoo News app offers a sleek and uncluttered interface, making navigation simple and user-friendly. Utilizing proprietary technology as well as collaborations with AI specialists like OpenAI, the app employs a combination of algorithmic curation and editorial input to present users with a tailored news experience. On the app, users can choose their preferred news topics and customize their feed by blocking specific publications or keywords.

One of the key challenges faced by aggressive recommendation algorithms is the potential reinforcement of bias and the spread of misinformation. Yahoo is aware of this concern and aims to strike a balance by delivering relevant content to satisfy user preferences without creating echo chambers. The app also addresses clickbait by allowing users to flag such headlines, which are subsequently replaced with clearer and more direct rewrites generated by an AI engine and refined by human curators.

Aside from personalization, the Yahoo News app incorporates gamification elements, rewarding users with badges based on the number of articles read. This feature adds an engaging and interactive aspect to the news consumption experience.

While some former Artifact features, such as AI voices reading articles aloud, have not been integrated into the revamped Yahoo News app, Yahoo's senior vice president and general manager of Yahoo News, Kat Downs Mulder, assures users that more features will be added in the future. Mulder envisions a system where reading badges may contribute to users' authority or credibility within the Yahoo community.

The Yahoo News app update follows Yahoo's recent introduction of AI updates to its Mail app. With generative AI summaries of news articles and the promise of synchronized features across all platforms, Yahoo aims to provide its users with a comprehensive and personalized news experience.

As Yahoo ventures further into the AI domain, it hopes that leveraging the technology acquired from Artifact will attract more users, offering them news content tailored to their interests while navigating the fine line between personalization and bias.