On with Kara Swisher

SVB, IG & AI with Instagram Co-founder Kevin Systrom

Mar 16, 2023

In this chat, Kevin Systrom, the co-founder of Instagram and the AI-powered newsreader Artifact, shares his journey from social media mogul to innovator. He reflects on his regrets about Instagram and discusses the challenges facing new tech ventures like Artifact, especially amid the SVB crisis. The conversation covers the evolving landscape of information curation and the ethical dilemmas in social media. Systrom also critiques the tech industry’s culture and highlights the importance of adapting to changing times in both personal and professional realms.

01:01:05

Episode guests

Kevin Systrom

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Media Meltdown: Panic and Politics

6min

Innovative Products and Market Navigation

4min

Navigating Crises and Accountability in Tech

20min

The Evolution of Instagram and Remote Work Challenges

5min

Innovating Information Curation

16min

Navigating the Media and Tech Landscape

8min

After a quick rundown of Kara’s Twitter feud with SVB-enthusiast David Sacks, we turn to an interview with a former Silicon Valley Bank customer: Kevin Systrom. When you found one of the most successful social media apps at 27, it’s tough to figure out where to go with Act Two. But after leaving Facebook (now Meta) in 2018, Systrom is back with an AI-powered news-reader called Artifact which has been dubbed a “Tiktok for Text.” Onstage at SXSW this weekend, as the SVB crisis was playing out, Kara and Kevin discuss his regrets about Instagram, his plans to crack the news business and what’s wrong with tech bros.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on Twitter @karaswisher and @nayeema

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