BuzzFeed, the U.S. media enterprise primarily recognized for its quizzes, listicles, and, at one point, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism division, is actively repositioning itself for the burgeoning AI era. This strategic pivot forms the core of its latest public announcement.
At the recent SXSW conference held in Austin, BuzzFeed co-founder and CEO Jonah Peretti unveiled the company's next significant venture: a spin-off named Branch Office. This new entity is dedicated to exploring the potential of artificial intelligence within consumer-facing applications, specifically those designed to foster creativity and connection among users.
Peretti clarified that Branch Office represents a natural progression of BuzzFeed's years-long experimentation with AI technology. His presentation, however, was marked by an initial series of slideshow glitches, followed by app demonstrations that were met with a notably muted response from the audience, oscillating between silence and polite, hesitant laughter.
Peretti stated, “We’ve been working on this secretly for over a year, and we’ve learned a lot from the BuzzFeed platform about what is coming with new kinds of AI formats.” He further emphasized, “Using AI is the way of connecting people, building community around these pillars of culture, and taste, and community.”
Bill Shouldis, a director of product at BuzzFeed and the founder of Branch Office, then took the stage to showcase two of the new company's applications: BF Island and Conjure.
The first offering, BF Island, functions as a group chat platform that incorporates AI-powered features for photo manipulation and editing. While the underlying AI photo technology itself may not be revolutionary, its integration within the platform is presented as a means to a different end.
The distinctive feature of BF Island lies not in its AI tools but in its curated in-app library of contemporary online trends and memes, meticulously assembled by an editorial team. This library is intended to inspire users to generate AI-enhanced photos that reference fleeting internet phenomena, such as the McDonald’s CEO’s burger tasting or the "frame-mogging" drama. This specific content targets a "very online" demographic, who would readily recognize these niche cultural references.
Another app, Conjure, draws parallels to BeReal, the once-popular daily temporary photo app. However, Conjure diverges by prompting users to capture daily images of subjects other than themselves. (It's worth noting that BeReal itself ultimately struggled with user retention, eventually being acquired by Voodoo after losing momentum.) During the Conjure demo, for instance, the prompt asked, “What lies between the trees and the moon?”, leading to a photo of the night sky. The demonstration concluded with a flash of eerie images and a whispered question: “What will you conjure?”
The intent behind Conjure remained largely elusive, a sentiment seemingly shared by the audience. Following the demo, the silence was broken by a lone cough, succeeded by a ripple of uncomfortable laughter.
Shouldis subsequently added to the mystification by explaining that AI is also integral to Conjure, as the app purportedly possesses an “AI spirit for a CEO.” The comment left many puzzled.
Peretti also introduced Quiz Party, a social application designed to allow users to engage with BuzzFeed quizzes alongside friends and share their results.
This underwhelming presentation unfolded just days after BuzzFeed publicly disclosed "substantial doubt" regarding its operational continuity and revealed ongoing strategic discussions aimed at addressing significant liquidity challenges. The company, which reported a net loss of $57.3 million last year, had previously announced its intention to focus this year on its Studio IP and the development of new AI applications, such as those presented.
Despite the tech-forward nature of the SXSW audience, the new offerings failed to garner conviction.
During the post-presentation Q&A session, an attendee raised a pertinent concern, highlighting BeReal's struggle to maintain user engagement once its initial novelty waned. The question posed was how an app like Conjure planned to circumvent similar retention issues.
Shouldis responded by indicating that the app would evolve, stating it would “have different types of things happening and not just be exactly what it is today.” He alluded to future integrations of features such as video, audio, and prototyping with Claude Code, all aimed at fostering community building.
The fundamental premise underpinning these new applications is not without merit: AI can accelerate software development, enabling companies to iterate more rapidly and sustain user engagement.
As Peretti succinctly put it, “In a way, software is the new content.”
However, successful iteration is predicated on first attracting users. With its latest suite of apps, BuzzFeed appears to have prioritized exploring the capabilities of AI over understanding genuine user desires for AI integration, a strategy that historically has not proven to be a recipe for success.
The Editorial Staff at AIChief is a team of professional content writers with extensive experience in AI and marketing. Founded in 2025, AIChief has quickly grown into the largest free AI resource hub in the industry.