Artifact, the innovative news app developed by Instagram’s founders, has just rolled out another cutting-edge AI-powered feature. In collaboration with Speechify, the company is now offering users an AI-powered text-to-speech feature, enabling them to listen to news articles in a whole new way. Unlike traditional text-to-speech engines that often sound robotic, Artifact’s text-to-speech feature introduces a diverse range of natural-sounding voices that can be tailored to individual preferences, including different accents and adjustable audio speeds. To add a touch of fun and excitement, the app even offers celebrity voices, including Snoop Dogg and Gwyneth Paltrow.
To access this immersive feature, users can simply tap the play button on the bottom bar of any article. From there, they can customize the voice, accent, and speed to their liking, with a wide range of speeds from 0.1x to 4.5x available. The app ensures a seamless experience by allowing users to continue browsing the news while the selected article is played in the background, making it perfect for multitasking during activities such as workouts, commutes, or chores.
With over 30 voices to choose from, Artifact ensures a diverse and engaging experience for its users. The voices are currently available in English, but users can pick from various accents like the U.K., Australia, Nigeria, and South Africa. Additionally, besides the official celebrity voices, there are other entertaining options, such as a voice resembling former President Barack Obama or one inspired by Dwight Schrute from “The Office.”
Excitingly, the text-to-speech feature is just one of the many AI-powered enhancements introduced since Artifact’s public launch in February 2023. In the previous month, the app incorporated AI to rewrite clickbait article headlines flagged by users, using the GPT-4 model to craft alternative titles. These revised headlines are clearly marked with a star icon to distinguish them from the original ones. Moreover, in April, Artifact began utilizing AI to summarize stories, offering users the choice of fun styles like “explain like I’m five” or even using a series of emojis for a whimsical touch.
The app’s AI-powered recommendation systems further enhance the user experience by providing personalized content based on individual preferences and behaviors, such as clicks, reading time, dwell time, and shares, rather than solely relying on overall popularity across the user base.
Although Artifact shares similarities with other news apps like China’s ByteDance’s Toutiao, Japan-based SmartNews, and News Break, which also offer personalized news curation, it faces fierce competition in the U.S. from built-in news apps provided by tech giants like Apple and Google, as well as social media platforms such as TikTok.
The addition of the text-to-speech feature positions Artifact to compete with popular read-it-later apps like Pocket, Matter, and Instapaper, adding another layer of functionality to its already impressive repertoire.
Despite receiving positive reviews from users, boasting a 4.7-star rating across 4.3K ratings on the U.S. App Store, Artifact is yet to achieve mainstream adoption, currently ranking at No. 124 in the News category. However, with its constant stream of AI-driven innovations, Artifact continues to prove itself as a forward-thinking and user-focused platform in the ever-evolving world of news apps.
