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Instagram Faces Existential Challenge as AI Blurs Real and Fake Content
Instagram: Instagram head Adam Mosseri has warned that the importance of "perfect" photos will disappear in the growing era of AI. By 2026, the company's focus will shift to "authenticity." Instagram is rolling out new tools to label AI content and verify genuine posts.
Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, has explained that the biggest challenge to the future of Instagram is artificial intelligence (AI). In a post he made at the end of December, he said that the rate at which AI is developing means that soon it would be hard to differentiate photos and videos from computer-generated ones. This means that Instagram would need to move fast.
According to Mosseri, AI-generated content is not just a trend but a technology that will transform the entire concept of social media. He described it as one of the biggest technological changes ever seen.
In 2025, AI-based image and video generation tools will have taken over the internet. Tools like Google's Nano Banana and OpenAI's Sora have led to the rapid popularity of AI content. Instagram also participated in this shift, launching its Edits app to support AI content creation.
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However, according to what Mosseri said, he also fears that such technology might be a threat to Instagram in the future. This was contained in a 20-slide carousel post he made on the 31st of December. According to his post, a great transition can be noticed as we are moving towards 2026. Today’s world, he said, is a world where everything generated by AI can easily bypass authenticity.
Mosseri acknowledged that people's long-held trust in digital content is gradually eroding. Photos and videos were once believed to be true reflections of real events, but this is no longer the case. He believes that in the coming years, due to AI-generated content, people will doubt what they see rather than trust it directly.
He also said that while Instagram can currently identify AI content, this task will become more difficult as technology improves. In the future, there may be a greater emphasis on detecting AI content, and on verifying real photos and videos using cryptographic signatures.
In this AI-fueled environment, Instagram is preparing to take several steps to remain relevant. Mosseri said the platform will need to develop better tools to address AI content, clearly label AI-generated content, and adopt robust verification methods for authentic content. Furthermore, it will also show who is posting the content and its authenticity. Instagram is now moving towards prioritizing originality and trustworthiness over technical perfection.
