Instagram cracks down on AI accounts pretending to be human

Instagram is taking concrete steps to address the rise of fake AI-influencer accounts that have become increasingly difficult to distinguish from real people. The platform is renaming the "AI creator" label to "AI-generated profile" to ensure transparency when a profile features an AI-generated person. In a blog post, Instagram stated that users have expressed frustration over interacting with profiles that appear human, only to discover they are AI-generated. The company emphasized that users want to know when a profile features a non-human entity. To enforce this, Instagram will actively hunt down accounts that fail to self-label their AI-generated profiles. Penalties will include limiting the reach of these accounts, meaning their posts will no longer be recommended to non-followers in Reels and Explore. Profile owners will have the option to appeal the decision if they believe they were flagged incorrectly. Instagram clarified that users who simply use AI tools to generate content do not need to add the label. While this move does not filter out all AI-generated content on the platform, it represents a significant first step by Instagram head Adam Mosseri to address the issue.