Digital
Threads by Instagram marks Meta’s foray into text-based conversations
Mumbai: In its brawl with Elon Musk’s Twitter, Meta’s Instagram has officially put ‘Threads’ into action – the newly launched app is designed for text-based conversations.
In a note to the media, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg mentioned, “Whether you’re a creator or a casual poster, Threads offers a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations. We are working toward making Threads compatible with the open, interoperable social networks that we believe can shape the future of the internet.
Instagram is where billions of people around the world connect over photos and videos. Our vision with Threads is to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas. Just like on Instagram, with Threads you can follow and connect with friends and creators who share your interests – including the people you follow on Instagram and beyond. And you can use our existing suite of safety and user controls.”
The app is available for iOS and Android users in over 100 countries, including India.
Threads enables users to share posts with up to 500 characters and integrates several features suggestive of Twitter’s functionality.
The disposition of Threads is similar to Twitter – the tweets are called ‘threads’, and retweets are called ‘reposts’.
While Threads operates as a standalone app, users can log in using their Instagram accounts, seamlessly carrying over their Instagram usernames. Additionally, there is an option to customize profiles exclusively for Threads.
Digital
OpenAI to roll out ads for free ChatGPT users in the US
Criteo tie-up signals shift as OpenAI explores ads to fund growth
CALIFORNIA: OpenAI is set to introduce advertisements for users on the free and Go versions of ChatGPT in the United States, marking a notable shift in how the platform plans to fund its rapid growth.
The move, confirmed by a company spokesperson in a statement to Reuters, follows earlier reporting by The Information and signals OpenAI’s deeper push into advertising as a revenue stream.
At the heart of this rollout is a partnership with Criteo, an advertising technology firm now integrated into OpenAI’s pilot programme. The company provides tools that help advertisers buy placements and sharpen targeting, suggesting that ads shown to users will be increasingly tailored.
According to reports, Criteo has been pitching advertisers on commitments ranging from $50,000 to $100,000, hinting at serious commercial intent behind the experiment. OpenAI has also advised advertisers to supply multiple versions of ad copy and visuals, a move designed to boost visibility and improve campaign performance.
The development comes as OpenAI looks to diversify its income streams. With ChatGPT’s popularity surging globally, the company is grappling with rising costs tied to computing infrastructure, even as competition in the generative AI space heats up.
For users, the change may soon mean a more familiar internet experience, where conversations come with the occasional commercial break.
