Instagram puts new limits on undisclosed AI profiles

Instagram announced Monday that it’s changing how it labels AI-generated profiles and will start limiting the reach of accounts that feature AI-generated people without saying so.

The platform says it’s renaming its existing “AI creator” label to “AI-generated profile,” which Instagram says should make the disclosure easier to understand. The new label is meant to tell users that the person featured on a profile was generated or substantially created with AI.

Under the new policy, creators who don’t properly label an AI-generated profile could see their reach reduced. Creators who use the new label, on the other hand, won’t be penalized simply for having an AI-generated person as their profile subject.

The label also isn’t meant for every use of AI. Instagram says people who use AI to edit photos, polish captions, create graphics, or make other creative tweaks don’t need to use the AI-generated profile label.

Instagram says the change comes partly in response to users who have stumbled across profiles that looked like they belonged to real people, only to find out later that the person was completely AI-generated.

“As generative AI becomes a bigger part of how people create, we’ve heard that people don’t like seeing a profile that seems human, only to find out later that the person featured is AI-generated,” Instagram wrote. “They want to know when a profile features an AI-generated person.”

The timing is notable. Frustration over AI-generated content has been growing as AI influencers become more common across social media platforms.

For instance, earlier this year, the gay dating app Goose became the subject of a Wired investigation after a network of apparently AI-generated male influencers promoted the app on Instagram. Wired found more than two dozen accounts that appeared to feature AI influencers, some of which reportedly reached out to potential users through direct messages to get them to sign up.

Health and wellness content is another particularly worrying example. The New York Times reported in July it found hundreds of AI-generated doctors, healers, and wellness personalities on social media promoting supplements or making health claims to users. 

The announcement comes after Instagram faced backlash over an AI tool that allowed users to generate images using other people’s likenesses. Users objected to having their public Instagram content used without an explicit opt-in. Meta then removed the feature.

Last week, Meta reached an $18 billion settlement with U.S. states over allegations concerning the effects of Facebook and Instagram on children and teenagers. As part of the agreement, Meta will introduce a default two-hour daily usage limit for teens across Facebook and Instagram, a “Night Mode” block, muted notifications during school hours, and other restrictions.