Instagram will demote AI-generated influencers if they don't clearly label their account
The app isn't cracking down on other kinds of AI slop, though.
Instagram is changing its rules for profiles that feature AI-generated personas. The app is now requiring such accounts to use a new "AI-generated profile" label that identifies it as featuring AI rather than a "real human." Accounts that don't use the label will have their reach reduced, the company said.
The move comes at a time when other platforms have taken steps to make AI-generated content less prominent as social media users reject the influx of AI slop. But Meta, which often encourages users to make their own slop, has done very little to discourage AI content. And the latest change is less of a crackdown on all AI slop, than new rules for a particular type of content that can be especially misleading.
The new labels seem to be tailored specifically to accounts that feature AI-generated personas. Previously, Instagram used an optional "AI creator" label as a kind of catch-all for any profile that regularly featured AI content. But the company is now replacing that label with the "AI-generated profile" tag. The new designation is intended for profiles that "feature an AI-generated person," according to its in-app description.
As AI models have become more advanced and it's become easier to make convincing AI content, there's been a rise in fake AI influencers. The Guardian recently uncovered a wave of AI-generated "influencers" hawking apps and other brands. And The New York Times found hundreds of AI "wellness" influencers, including those claiming to be doctors. While much of this content doesn't explicitly break Meta's rules, it's prompted concerns about the spread of misinformation.
"We've heard from our community that they don't like coming across a profile that seems human, only to find out later that the person featured is AI-generated," an Instagram spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that accounts with AI humans not using the label "may soon see limits to their reach." Creators who think they have been wrongfully penalized for this will have the option to appeal via Instagram's Account Status dashboard.
