Bluesky’s team has developed a new application, Attie, which isn’t a social network but an AI assistant enabling users to design personalized algorithms, generate custom feeds, and eventually even “vibe-code” their own applications.
Attie, the AI application, was officially introduced at the recent Atmosphere conference by Bluesky’s former CEO, Jay Graber (now Chief Innovation Officer), and CTO Paul Frazee. Attendees of the conference will be the first to test this new experience, which utilizes Anthropic’s Claude to power an agentic social app built upon Bluesky’s foundational AT Protocol (atproto).
Interim CEO Toni Schneider clarified in an interview that Attie is a distinct, standalone product, not integrated into the main Bluesky app. (Schneider also holds a partner position at True Ventures, an investor in Bluesky.) He added, “While we’ve introduced numerous features within Bluesky, like Starter Packs and custom feeds, Attie represents the inaugural standalone product developed by Jay’s new team.”
Attie empowers users to construct personalized custom feeds simply by using natural language commands, akin to interacting with any AI chatbot. Accessing the app requires an Atmosphere login, which is valid for any application operating on the atproto protocol, including Bluesky. Due to Bluesky and its ecosystem being open systems that facilitate data sharing across applications, Attie will instantly grasp users’ conversation history, preferences, and more.
Users can pose questions to Attie, such as identifying recommended posts to view or repost, and can leverage the app to curate a unique, personalized custom feed.
“You have complete control and can tailor it precisely, without needing to write code or understand feed configurations,” Schneider emphasized. “This marks the initial step towards enabling a significantly broader audience to build upon the Atmosphere platform.”
He further stated, “While it is an AI product, its design is deeply focused on people… We recognize AI as an incredibly potent technology, and our goal is to harness it for creating tools that genuinely serve human benefit.”
Upon its release, Attie will facilitate the creation and viewing of these feeds, which users will subsequently be able to access within Bluesky or any other atproto application. The long-term vision includes enabling Attie users to “vibe-code” their own social applications and develop tools for others.
Schneider revealed that Graber and her team initiated development on the app several months prior, coinciding with Graber’s decision to shift back to product development rather than continuing her role in company operations.
“I believe she recognized a greater desire to build, and the CEO position consumed much of her time; she yearned for more,” Schneider shared with TechCrunch. He added, “As she had more time and became unburdened, it became evident that this is where she thrives. She is an exceptional leader and visionary, and our aim is for her to focus on creating new innovations rather than the day-to-day operations of the company.”
Graber asserted that current major platforms frequently deploy AI primarily for their own benefit, rather than that of their users, through tactics like boosting app engagement, collecting user data, and dictating algorithmic control.
“Our belief is that AI should empower individuals, not platforms,” Graber declared during Attie’s unveiling. “An open protocol transfers this authority directly to users. This enables you to construct your personal feeds, develop software that functions according to your preferences, and discern valuable insights amidst information overload.”
Following Graber’s choice to prioritize protocol and product development, Bluesky disclosed that it had secured an additional $100 million in funding from a round finalized last year. The team anticipates this announcement will reassure the broader community of Bluesky’s ongoing stability.
“This provides us with over three years of financial runway, which is excellent, ensuring stability and security for the entire ecosystem,” Schneider communicated to TechCrunch. He added that this also grants Bluesky’s team the necessary time to address future significant challenges, such as implementing enhanced privacy controls within the protocol and identifying monetization strategies for its social network of 43.4 million users.
However, Schneider confirmed that crypto integration is definitively not planned, despite investment from several crypto-focused backers. This assurance aims to alleviate concerns among some Bluesky users who were apprehensive about the app potentially becoming a platform for crypto scams or a payment system.
Schneider clarified that Bluesky’s crypto investors are drawn to the decentralization aspect inherent in blockchain technology. “This is decentralized social, so it aligns with those investors who believe in the platform and the ecosystem’s potential,” he explained.
Alternatively, the company intends to explore various other monetization approaches. While Attie is currently in private beta, the team has not finalized whether it will eventually incur a fee. Other concepts under consideration include subscription models and providing hosting services for individuals interested in establishing their own communities on the protocol.
Schneider, who previously served as CEO of Automattic (the company behind WordPress.com), perceives the Atmosphere’s potential to mirror WordPress’s success in this context.
“The core of [the Atmosphere] is a fully open system, allowing universal participation,” he stated. “This enables numerous independent, decentralized components to collaborate seamlessly. WordPress, for instance, evolved into a massive ecosystem, now generating over $10 billion annually.”
Schneider elaborated, “It has achieved immense scale despite its entirely decentralized nature. We aspire for the Atmosphere to similarly foster an environment where a multitude of applications and services can coexist, collaborate, and collectively build a robust ecosystem.”