Particle, an AI-powered newsreader app developed by former Twitter engineers, is taking a new approach to AI in media by enhancing how people understand news stories while driving support for publishers. With $15.3 million in funding led by Lightspeed, Particle was founded by ex-Twitter senior director Sara Beykpour and former Twitter and Tesla engineer Marcel Molina. Their mission? To empower readers with unique features for exploring news in depth while encouraging traffic back to publishers.
Unlike other AI news aggregators that reuse content without credit, Particle actively partners with news outlets, including Reuters and AFP, offering AI-driven summaries with direct links that push traffic back to publishers. Partner content is also given premium visibility in the app, improving engagement.
Particle’s features make it more than a standard news app. Readers can use a chatbot to ask questions and get answers about stories, see different perspectives through its “Opposite Sides” tool, or simplify complex news with “Explain Like I’m 5.” The app can also provide summaries in multiple languages and audio versions for on-the-go access. Built on technology including OpenAI’s GPT-4, Cohere, and traditional models, Particle emphasizes accuracy, reducing AI errors to one in 10,000 occurrences.
To promote transparency, Particle uses human editors to curate content and prioritize accuracy, with plans for further partnership integrations, including potential access to paywalled content in collaboration with publishers.
Currently available on iOS, Particle’s user-friendly features and commitment to publishers set it apart in the expanding AI news ecosystem, allowing users to explore stories deeply without compromising publisher revenue streams. Particle’s approach highlights how AI can positively impact the media landscape through collaboration and responsible design
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