Launched last week, Meta’s new app has attracted 100 million users, smashing the previous record established by OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg has doubled down on his feud with Elon Musk by rolling out a Twitter clone that is taking the world by storm. Within hours of Instagram’s new app’s launch, Twitter was already on the offensive with the threat of a lawsuit, claiming that Threads had poached the ex-employees of the social networking site. Musk did not pull his punches either, lashing out at his fellow tech luminary with a not-so-subtle series of Tweets culminating in the unsavoury proposal of a “dick measurement contest” to settle the ongoing dispute.
But as much as the Tesla CEO laments its newest competitor feeling like a Twitter carbon copy, Threads is already breaking records across the board. Since it launched last Wednesday, Meta’s latest app has passed the 100-million mark. In its first two hours alone, Threads drew in over 2 million users. Barely seven hours into its launch, that figure rose to 10 million. Even by Zuckerberg’s own admission, these statistics are exceeding all expectations.
Users aren’t signing up out of curiosity without actually engaging with the platform, either. In a matter of days, over 95 million posts were shared on the app, reaping a whopping 190 million likes, according to The Verge deputy editor Alex Heath. Much of this roaring success is arguably due to the app’s connection with Instagram, as users can link their Threads profile to their Insta account seamlessly. The newly launched app boasts direct access to the colossal Instagram user base, which accounts for approximately 2 billion active users.
Threads is still very much in its infancy, however. Several creators have already pointed out some of the basic features the text-based microblogging app is still missing. Threads’ cultural impact remains to be seen in the long run compared to Twitter, and content creators didn’t shy away from addressing their fear that this newest app might not stick around.
Creators with a massive Instagram following have naturally been among the first users to venture into Threads territory alongside Meta employees and celebrities like Selena Gomez, John Cena, and Kim Kardashian. American social media personality Haley Kalil told Forbes that Threads had the potential to turn into Gen Z’s takeover of Twitter. Then again, other prominent names in the influencer sphere voiced their anxiety over managing yet another platform.
Journalists have also given their two cents on what Meta’s new app could entail for the digital ecosystem. Nigerian media analyst Mayowa Adegoke welcomed Threads’ cosmic launch within the African continent but told TRT Afrika that both entrepreneurs and content producers needed to better “measure the value” they were getting from the app.
Zuckerberg candidly addressed the app’s shortcomings, taking to Threads to admit that his team had “a lot of work ahead.” Yet, he added that he was feeling the “beginning of something special.” And if numbers are a strong enough indicator, Meta’s CEO may be spot on.
Perhaps the most telling factor of all, Threads attracted 100 million users in five days when OpenAI’s conversational chatbot got to that number in two months. ChatGPT even experienced a sharp decline in users in June. Both desktop and mobile traffic was down 9.7 percent globally, prompting questions as to whether this waning interest could be part of an industry trend. After the meteoric rise of AI-powered tools, the artificial intelligence revolution could be coming to a halt amidst increasing calls for regulations and controversies in the face of ethical dilemmas.
That said, AI is very much still a powerful force for change across several industries. AI in gaming is gradually transforming the way gamers interact with their environment, while the iGaming industry is leveraging artificial intelligence to personalise and improve customer experience. Efficient customer service is one of many factors accounted for by reviewing hubs like CasinoBonusCA. Rating everything from payout speed to bonuses, experts scour the internet to test out as many established websites as new casinos. Prospective gamers can therefore find the most profitable casino offers with just a click. And newcomers might even check out free tips and guidelines to get started – and take a break from joining heated public conversations on Threads.
Is Threads heralding a new future in the social media landscape, thus? Or is Meta’s app bound to be a fad unable to supplant Twitter? All bets are off.
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