Instagram is changing how it labels profiles featuring AI-generated people and will reduce the reach of accounts that fail to disclose their use of AI. The platform is renaming its existing “AI creator” label to “AI-generated profile” to make the disclosure clearer for users.
Instagram announced the policy in an official creator update. The label is intended for profiles where the person featured has been generated or substantially created using AI, rather than for every account that uses AI tools.
Undisclosed AI Profiles Could Lose Reach
Creators who feature AI-generated people without applying the required label may have their reach reduced. Accounts that properly use the disclosure will not be penalized simply because their profile centers on an AI-generated person.
Instagram said the rule does not apply when AI is used for smaller creative changes, such as editing photos, improving captions, or creating graphics. The company said users had complained about discovering that profiles appearing to represent real people were actually centered on AI-generated individuals.
Instagram said people want to know when the person shown on a profile has been generated with AI. The updated label is designed to make that distinction visible before users interact with the account.
AI-Generated Influencers Have Drawn Scrutiny
The policy arrives as AI-generated personalities have appeared in areas including marketing and health content. Wired reported earlier this year that more than two dozen apparently AI-generated male influencer accounts promoted the dating app Goose on Instagram, with some reportedly contacting potential users through direct messages.
The New York Times also reported in July that it identified hundreds of AI-generated doctors, healers, and wellness personalities promoting supplements or making health-related claims on social platforms.
Instagram has faced separate criticism over its own generative AI features. In July, Meta removed an Instagram feature that allowed users to create AI-generated images based on other people’s public profile photos after users objected to their images being used without explicit opt-in consent.
The policy change also follows Meta’s $18 billion settlement with 29 U.S. states over allegations involving the effects of Facebook and Instagram on children and teenagers. Under that agreement, Meta plans to introduce measures including a default two-hour daily usage limit for teens across Facebook and Instagram, Night Mode restrictions, and muted notifications during school hours.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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