Bluesky is extending its ambitions beyond social networking with the launch of a new AI-driven product designed to give users direct control over how they consume and shape content.
Unveiled at the Atmosphere conference, the app—named Attie—marks a deliberate shift. Rather than refining the core Bluesky experience, the team has introduced a standalone AI assistant that allows individuals to build their own algorithms, curate personalised feeds, and eventually create entirely new applications.
Jay Graber, now serving as chief innovation officer after stepping down as CEO, presented the tool alongside CTO Paul Frazee. Early access will be limited to conference attendees, who will act as beta testers. The app runs on Anthropic’s Claude model and is built atop Bluesky’s AT Protocol, an open framework designed to support decentralised social applications.
Toni Schneider, Bluesky’s interim CEO, draws a clear distinction between Attie and previous in-app features.
“It’s a new product — it’s not a part of the Bluesky app,” he explains. “We’ve launched a lot of things inside Bluesky — Starter Packs and custom feeds, and all those kinds of things. This is a standalone product, and it’s the first one that’s built by Jay’s new team.”
Attie simplifies what has traditionally been a technical process. Instead of coding or configuring complex systems, users can describe what they want in plain language. The AI interprets those instructions and constructs a tailored feed accordingly.
The experience mirrors interacting with a chatbot, but with deeper integration into a user’s digital environment. By logging in through an atproto-compatible account, Attie gains contextual awareness—understanding preferences, past interactions, and content patterns across the ecosystem.
Users can:
- Ask for recommendations on posts to read or repost
- Build and refine custom feeds
- Continuously adjust their content experience through conversation
“You control it, you shape it, without having to write code or know how to set up these feeds,” Schneider says. “It’s the beginning of just having a lot more people be able to build on top of the Atmosphere.”
That accessibility signals a broader shift. For years, algorithmic control has remained in the hands of platforms. Attie attempts to invert that model by placing those controls directly with users. The question is whether mainstream audiences will embrace that responsibility—or prefer the simplicity of passive consumption.
Schneider emphasises the human-centric philosophy behind the product.
“It is an AI product, but it’s an AI product that’s very people-focused … We think AI is a very powerful technology, but we want to make sure that we use it to build things that really benefit people.”
At launch, Attie’s functionality centres on feed creation and management. Over time, the roadmap expands significantly. The team intends to let users “vibe-code” their own social applications—effectively describing an app idea and allowing AI to assemble it.
That vision echoes trends seen across software development, where tools increasingly lower the barrier to entry. Consider how platforms like WordPress enabled non-technical users to publish online. Attie aims to replicate that shift, but for social ecosystems.
The origins of the project trace back a few months, aligning with Graber’s decision to step away from day-to-day executive duties and return to product development.
“I think she realized that there was so much more that she wanted to build, and just doing the CEO job kept her busy, and she felt like she wanted more time,” Schneider says. “As she spent more time, [and] got freed up, I think it became clear that this is her happy place. She’s an amazing leader and visionary, and we want her building more things and not worrying about operating the company.”
Graber’s perspective on AI reflects a broader critique of the current tech landscape. Large platforms, she argues, deploy AI primarily to maximise engagement and extract data.
“We think AI should serve people, not platforms,” she said during Attie’s announcement. “An open protocol puts this power directly in users’ hands. You can use it to build your own feeds, create software that works the way you want it to, and find signal in the noise.”
That philosophy ties directly to Bluesky’s commitment to decentralisation. By separating infrastructure from applications, the company positions itself less as a platform owner and more as an ecosystem enabler.
The timing of Attie’s debut coincides with a significant financial milestone. Bluesky recently secured $100 million in additional funding, providing what Schneider describes as more than three years of operational runway.
“It means we have three-plus years of runway, which is great. That means stability and security for the rest of the ecosystem,” he says.
This financial cushion allows the company to tackle unresolved challenges:
- Implementing robust privacy controls within the protocol
- Developing sustainable monetisation strategies
- Supporting a growing user base, now exceeding 43 million
One area Bluesky is deliberately avoiding is cryptocurrency integration. Despite backing from crypto-aligned investors, the leadership team has no plans to introduce tokens or payment mechanisms tied to blockchain.
“It’s the kind of investors who were attracted to crypto because of its decentralization, and they were investing in things built on the blockchain that were super decentralized,” Schneider explains. “This is decentralized social, so it fits those who are invested to believe in the platform and the ecosystem opportunity.”
Instead, the company is exploring more conventional revenue models. These include subscriptions and hosting services for users who want to run their own communities on the protocol. Whether Attie itself becomes a paid product remains undecided.
Schneider draws a parallel to his experience leading Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com. He sees a similar trajectory unfolding.
“At the center of [the Atmosphere] is a completely open system, so anybody can participate,” he says. “You can have all of these independent, decentralized pieces that work together. With WordPress, that turned into a huge ecosystem with billions of dollars — over $10 billion a year, now — flowing through it.”
He continues, “So it’s gotten very big, even though it’s completely decentralized. And this is what we’re hoping for, for the Atmosphere to have that similar ability for lots of these apps and services to coexist and work together and build an ecosystem.”
The broader implication is difficult to ignore. If users gain the tools to design their own algorithms and even build their own platforms, what happens to traditional social networks that rely on centralised control?
And if AI becomes the interface through which people shape their digital environments, will platforms compete on features—or on how much control they are willing to give up?
Author: George Nathan Dulnuan