Instagram announced on Monday that it is changing how it labels profiles that feature AI-generated people and will begin reducing the reach of accounts that present AI-created people without disclosure.
The company is renaming its existing “AI creator” tag to “AI-generated profile,” which Instagram says should make the disclosure clearer to users. The new label is intended to indicate that the person shown on a profile was generated or substantially created with artificial intelligence.
Under the updated policy, creators who fail to properly label an AI-generated profile may experience reduced reach. Creators who use the new label will not be penalized merely for featuring an AI-generated person on their profile.
Instagram also clarified that the label is not required for every use of AI. People who use AI to edit photos, refine captions, design graphics, or make other creative tweaks do not need to apply the “AI-generated profile” tag.
The company said the change responds in part to users who have encountered profiles that appeared to belong to real people, only to discover later that the person was entirely 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 of the update follows growing frustration around AI-generated content and the rise of AI influencers across social platforms. Earlier this year, the gay dating app Goose became the focus of a Wired investigation after researchers identified more than two dozen Instagram accounts that appeared to feature AI-generated male influencers; some of those accounts reportedly messaged potential users to encourage sign-ups.
Health and wellness content has raised additional concerns. The New York Times reported in July that it found hundreds of accounts portraying AI-generated doctors, healers, and wellness personalities promoting supplements or making health claims.
The announcement also comes after backlash over an Instagram AI tool that allowed users to generate images using other people’s likenesses — users objected to their public Instagram content being used without explicit opt-in, and Meta removed the feature.
These developments coincide with broader legal and policy pressure on Meta. Last week Meta agreed to an $18 billion settlement with U.S. states over allegations about the effects of Facebook and Instagram on children and teenagers. As part of that agreement, Meta will introduce a default two-hour daily usage limit for teens on Facebook and Instagram, a “Night Mode” block, muted notifications during school hours, and other restrictions.
In sum, Instagram’s renamed “AI-generated profile” label aims to improve transparency when profiles feature AI-created people and to discourage undisclosed, realistic-looking AI profiles by limiting the reach of accounts that do not disclose that fact.
