Can't tell what is real and what is AI? Instagram reveals big plan to cut down on AI slop

Instagram is renaming its "AI creator" label to "AI-generated profile" and will limit the reach of AI-generated profiles that fail to disclose their identity. Details here.Instagram renames its AI creator label.While scrolling through social media nowadays, you may have come across multiple AI-generated people that at first glance look completely real and then you may come to realise the person in the photos does not actually exist in reality world. And it's getting harder and harder each day to tell where human creativity ends and where AI creativity begins.Instagram now seems to make that a little less confusing. The Meta-owned platform has announced that it is renaming its existing “AI creator” label to “AI-generated profile” and, more importantly, will start limiting the reach of profiles featuring AI-generated people if they do not disclose it.Earlier in May, the Meta-owned platform began testing the AI creator label for accounts that regularly share AI-generated content. At the time, the label was optional and Instagram said using it would not affect how widely a profile or its posts were recommended. The platform is now taking a stricter approach, at least for profiles built around AI-generated people.Why Instagram is changing the AI labelInstagram says the name “AI-generated profile” is meant to make things clearer for users. The platform says people have complained about discovering that a profile appeared to belong to a real person, only to later find out that the person was completely generated using AI. Under the new system, creators who run AI-generated profiles are expected to turn on the label themselves. Once enabled, the label will appear on the profile and alongside its content when the individual post does not already carry an AI-related disclosure.There is a catch, though. Profiles that Instagram detects as featuring AI-generated people but do not use the label may have their reach restricted. In some cases, these profiles could become ineligible to appear in Instagram's recommendations. That means an AI-generated influencer might still exist on Instagram, but getting discovered could become considerably harder if its creator decides to keep the AI identity hidden.You don't need the label just because you use AIInstagram is also making an important distinction here. The new label is not meant for everyone who uses AI.If a creator uses AI to edit a photograph, improve a caption, create a graphic or make other changes during the creative process, they do not need to add the AI-generated profile label.The label is specifically aimed at profiles where the person featured is itself AI-generated.Creators who receive a reach restriction will have two ways to get back into Instagram's recommendations. They can add the AI-generated profile label, or they can appeal the decision through Account Status if they believe Instagram has made a mistake.And as AI-generated influencers become more convincing, that distinction could become increasingly important. After all, the next time you stumble across a seemingly perfect Instagram profile, the first question may not be “Who is this?” but “Is this person even real?”- EndsPublished On: Sep 1, 2026 13:17 IST