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As competition among X alternatives heats up, Threads is introducing an expanded Trending Topics feature, as well as new AI summaries and improved search tools.
Users will now be able to search for posts within specific date ranges or search for posts from a single account. In the US, where Trending Topics is currently available, users will be able to view AI-powered summaries of what people are discussing, as well as an expanded list of Trending Topics that are popular right now.
The updates, according to Instagram Head Adam Mosseri, are "long overdue."
Meta's use of curated Trending Topics has had mixed receptions in the past, at least from some quarters. In 2016, Meta invited a group of prominent conservatives to its HQ to discuss allegations that its staff had been deprioritizing conservative viewpoints in Trending Topics.
AI-generated summaries have also had a mixed reception. Since May 2024, X's premium chatbot Grok has displayed AI-generated summaries of trending issues. However, it has also come under fire for misinterpreting tweets and generating inaccurate stories, such as falsely claiming that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lost the most recent election.
As Bluesky picks up steam among X defectors, Mosseri was quick to note that Threads also saw "more than 15 million signups in November alone...going on three months with more than a million signups a day." He added that Meta knows it has "a lot more work to do, and our teams are working hard to get this community what they need."
Earlier this month, Threads added the ability to build custom feeds for the first time. Users can search for a new topic, select "Create new feed," and the topic will appear next to the "For you" and "Following" tabs the next time they log in.
Meta plans to introduce ads on Threads early next year, maybe as early as January.