Particle, a startup focused on creating an AI-powered newsreader designed to support publishers rather than replace their content, has officially expanded its services to include a web platform. The new site, Particle.news, launched on a Tuesday, offers users access to a wide array of topics, including Technology, Sports, Entertainment, Politics, Science, Economics, Crime, and Video Games. Prominent features on the homepage highlight the day’s most popular stories.
This move marks Particle's transition from solely offering a mobile application to a fully-fledged web platform, aiming to attract a broader audience of news consumers who seek efficient access to current events enhanced by AI technology.
In contrast to traditional news apps that typically provide simplified summaries or key bullet points, Particle utilises advanced AI tools to help users quickly grasp the essential points of main stories. In addition to summarising articles, it extracts notable quotations and includes an interactive AI chatbot—though web visitors currently cannot engage in direct conversations with this AI.
A distinctive offering of the Particle platform is its “entity pages.” These pages provide comprehensive background information about crucial figures, places, products, or brands referenced in articles. For example, users can learn more about terms such as “Trump,” “Knicks,” or “Nintendo Switch,” as highlighted in the headlines or briefings. These terms link to dedicated pages that present foundational knowledge sourced from Wikipedia, along with related coverage from various publishers.
The platform also prioritises transparency by prominently displaying the original news outlets reporting each story. Links to these sources appear alongside Particle's AI-curated summaries, facilitating easy navigation back to original articles. Preliminary tests of the mobile application indicated high engagement with these links, leading Particle to establish partnerships with major media organisations including Reuters, Fortune, and AFP. The articles from these outlets benefit from heightened visibility within the platform.
Additionally, the web interface enhances user experience with direct access to related news articles at the end of each AI-generated summary. This feature encourages further exploration of trending stories. Users sharing links from the mobile app are directed to specific landing pages on the web, enhancing accessibility for those who may not have the app.
The integration of artificial intelligence into news production has sparked considerable debate within the industry. Critics argue that AI bots can substitute human journalists, leading to concerns about the future of journalistic integrity. However, Particle's founders emphasise their commitment to deploying AI responsibly, aiming to augment readers’ understanding while ensuring that traffic remains directed toward the original news providers.
Founded in 2023 by Sara Beykpour, a former Senior Director of Product Management at Twitter, and Marcel Molina, a seasoned engineer with experience at Twitter and Tesla, Particle has secured significant funding, including $4.4 million in seed investment and a subsequent $10.9 million Series A round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners.
Particle’s initiative reflects a larger trend in the media industry, where companies are increasingly harnessing AI for news summarisation and reader engagement. Notable competitors entering this space include Yahoo, which has acquired Artifact—developed by Instagram’s founders—to enhance its news app with AI capabilities. Other prominent organisations such as Bloomberg, Gannett (the parent company of USA Today), and The Wall Street Journal are similarly experimenting with AI-generated news summaries, although these entities face greater scrutiny due to their direct involvement in news reporting.
Source: Noah Wire Services