BuzzFeed, the U.S. media company known for quizzes, listicles, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism division, is launching a spin-off called Branch Office, which will explore artificial intelligence in consumer-facing apps designed for creativity and connection. The company's co-founder and CEO, Jonah Peretti, introduced two new apps at the SXSW conference in Austin, including BF Island and Conjure. The first product, BF Island, is a group chat platform offering features for changing and editing photos using AI, but the key feature of the app is its in-app library of online trends and memes, which could inspire users to create AI photos referencing trends like the McDonald's CEO taste-testing a burger or the "frame-mogging" drama. However, even the tech-forward audience at SXSW was not convinced, with some questioning the company's ability to continue as a business. Despite this, BuzzFeed announced it plans to focus on its Studio IP and new AI apps.