San Francisco, May 12 (IANS): Artifact, the AI-powered news app from Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, has announced a new feature that allows users to follow individual writers, making it even more of a news-focused social media app.

According to The Verge, articles from those writers will be prioritised in users' feeds, and they can choose to receive notifications when those writers post.

Writers can also claim a verified checkmark on their profile beside their name in searches and comments on Artifact.

In addition, writers can also receive notifications about how many people read their articles on the app and when other publications link to their work.

Moreover, the report mentioned, while many people use platforms such as Twitter to discuss current events, the platform has lost its appeal.

In contrast, Artifact is emerging as a more engaging platform for news enthusiasts to connect with one another and discuss the latest happenings.

In February, Instagram co-founders launched 'Artifact', which is also named a text-based version of TikTok which uses machine learning to understand users' interests.

Artifact's name represents the combination of articles, facts and artificial intelligence (AI).

The application is available for both Android and iOS devices.