Key Points
- Adam Mosseri warns AI images are making authenticity harder to verify.
- He stresses the need to shift focus from image content to the creator’s identity.
- Proposes cryptographic signing of photos to prove they aren’t AI‑generated.
- Calls for clear labeling of AI‑generated content on Instagram.
- Urges camera makers to embed authenticity verification at capture.
- Recommends tools and ranking changes that reward original, human‑made content.
- Highlights the surge of AI generators like Google’s Nano Bananas and OpenAI’s Sora.
AI’s Rapid Impact on Visual Media
In a year‑end post, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri addressed the massive shifts AI is causing in photography. He noted that AI is making it impossible to distinguish real photos from AI‑generated images, as creators increasingly embrace unpolished, raw aesthetics that AI is beginning to mimic.
Authenticity Becomes a Core Challenge
Mosseri warned that authenticity is becoming “infinitely reproducible,” and that Instagram faces the risk of falling behind as the world changes faster than the platform can adapt. He argued that the focus will need to shift from what is being shown to who is saying it, a transition that could take years and may feel uncomfortable because humans are predisposed to trust their eyes.
Calls for New Credibility Tools
To address the authenticity crisis, Mosseri suggested several steps. He advocated for cryptographic signing of photos at the point of capture, allowing a verifiable chain of ownership that proves an image is not AI‑generated. He also criticized camera makers for offering tools that make every amateur look like a polished professional, calling such “flattering imagery” cheap and boring.
Labeling and Ranking AI Content
Mosseri outlined a roadmap for Instagram: build both traditional and AI‑driven tools to help creators compete with fully AI‑created content; clearly label AI‑generated media; collaborate with manufacturers to embed authenticity verification into devices; and improve ranking algorithms to reward originality. He emphasized that surfacing credibility signals will enable users to decide whom to trust.
Context Within the Platform
Instagram, owned by Meta, added AI features in 2025 and has already seen AI versions of users appear in ads. The platform, like other social networks, is grappling with a flood of AI‑generated content that can crowd out human‑made posts. Notable AI image and video generators such as Google’s Nano Bananas and OpenAI’s Sora illustrate the scale of the technology’s advancement.
Looking Ahead
Mosseri concluded that Instagram must evolve quickly across multiple fronts to maintain credibility and support creators in an AI‑dominated visual landscape.
Source: cnet.com