Digg is Back: A New Chapter with AI
Digg, a prominent name from the early days of the social web, is undergoing another revival. Founder Kevin Rose has reacquired the platform, and this time he’s joined by an unexpected partner: Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, Digg’s one-time rival.
According to a press release, the duo aims “to restore the spirit of discovery and genuine community that made the early web a fun and exciting place to be.”
Rose and Ohanian, both now established venture capitalists, are expected to leverage their experience with Digg and Reddit to ensure this relaunch’s success. To understand community needs better, they’ve been consulting with leaders from various online forums, including Reddit, to address user frustrations.
AI Integration and a Mobile-First Approach
This time, AI is a key component of Digg’s new strategy. The goal is to differentiate Digg by “focusing on AI innovations designed to enhance the user experience and build a human-centered alternative.” Rose suggested to The New York Times that AI will assist with moderation and offer unique features, such as translating discussions into Klingon for sci-fi enthusiasts.
“At various times over the years I had been approached to repurchase Digg; it never felt right. The technologies to solve our biggest pain points didn’t exist,” Rose said. “Just recently we’ve hit an inflection point where AI can become a helpful co-pilot to users and moderators, not replacing human conversation, but rather augmenting it, allowing users to dig deeper, while at the same time removing a lot of the repetitive burden for community moderators”.
Justin Mezzell, a long-time collaborator of Rose and an experienced product design executive, is appointed as Digg’s CEO. Rose will serve as the company’s board chair and key advisor, with Ohanian also on the board in an advisory role.
Digg’s journey has been marked by both triumphs and challenges. It rose to prominence in the social media era, rivaling Reddit with its user-driven content curation system. However, attempts to game the system and a controversial 2010 redesign led to an exodus of users.
In 2012, the company was split up, various components being acquired by LinkedIn and The Washington Post Company. The Digg brand then went to Betaworks, which relaunched it as an editorially curated content site, eventually changing hands to an advertising business in 2018. The latest version of Digg offered a blend of curated content and articles from its editors.
Last year, Rose, along with co-host Alex Albrecht, revived their Diggnation podcast, hinting at a resurgence for the platform. A post on the Digg X account showing the app’s icon with 3825 notifications might be a hint that the relaunch will occur on March 8 (3/8/25). In any case, Rose has stated plans to start small and roll out more features over the coming months.
Here’s hoping the revival also includes Digg Reader, an RSS reader from the Betaworks era. And while we’re at it, can someone bring back StumbleUpon, too?
