Digg makes a comeback with AI and community at its core

Digg, a once-popular social news site, is returning under the leadership of its founder Kevin Rose and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. The pair, alongside CEO Justin Mezzell, have acquired Digg’s domain and assets from Money Group with plans to reinvent the platform using artificial intelligence (AI).

Digg first launched in 2004, letting users share and vote on links to decide what appeared on its homepage. Over time, Digg lost popularity and changed owners several times, eventually becoming less well-known. Now, Rose and Ohanian aim to revive Digg as a community-driven platform with AI-powered moderation and content discovery.

AI will play a key role in the new Digg, helping improve the user experience and making moderation easier. Rose has emphasised that AI will assist rather than replace human engagement, automating tasks such as spam filtering and policy enforcement. The goal is to allow moderators to focus on fostering positive discussions and shaping their communities rather than dealing with routine administrative work.

Unlike its predecessor, the new Digg will not include a downvote feature but will retain its signature upvote system. The platform will also prioritise engagement through smaller, interest-based communities. Digg’s leadership believes this approach will provide a fresh take on social media, fostering positive interactions and community engagement while addressing some of the challenges seen on other platforms.

Digg is launching with basic features, and the team will develop it further with feedback from early users. Rose and his team see this as a chance to improve Digg and make it an important place for online conversations again. Whether it can recapture its former influence remains to be seen, but its return signals a renewed effort to create a more user-focused social platform.

Sources: Digiday, The Verge, ZEDNET

Additional prompts

Reddit introduces new tools to help users post and engage. Reddit has launched new features to make posting and community engagement easier.The platform now suggests relevant subreddits for users unsure where to post, helping them connect with the right audience. A “Post Check” tool alerts users if their post might break subreddit rules before publishing, reducing accidental removals. If a post is removed, users can now easily repost it to a suggested alternative subreddit. Additionally, Reddit will guide users on meeting community participation requirements. An improved “Post Insights” feature helps users track post performance. These updates are now available globally on both mobile and desktop. Read more on TechCrunch

Google expands AI-powered shopping features. Google has introduced new AI-driven tools to enhance online shopping experiences. Users can now virtually try on makeup by searching for celebrity looks or trends, applying suggested products before purchasing. Its AI-powered product search lets users describe an item and receive generated images with shoppable matches, streamlining product discovery. Additionally, Google has expanded its virtual clothing try-on feature to more styles and sizes, improving accuracy in online fashion shopping. These updates provide businesses with new ways to showcase products and connect with shoppers, and they are rolling out to U.S. users on mobile and desktop starting this week. Read more on Social Media Today

Threads tests ‘Interests’ feature to boost connections. Threads is testing a new “Interests” field on user profiles to encourage more connections. The feature allows users to add topics they are interested in, which will be displayed on their profile for visitors to see. This update aims to help users find like-minded accounts to follow and support creators in growing their audience. The change comes as social platforms increasingly rely on AI-driven recommendations rather than direct follows. By making it easier to discover and connect with relevant accounts, Threads hopes to improve user engagement. The feature is in testing and may roll out more widely soon. Read more on Social Media Today

Mindshare Video