Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, has predicted that the quality of AI-generated images will improve dramatically in the coming years, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between artificial content and real photos. He said the traditional version of Instagram is effectively gone, according to a report by the U.S. technology website The Verge.
Mosseri shared his views in a lengthy Instagram post presented as a series of text-based images, expressing concern about the platform’s future in an era dominated by AI-generated content.
“I spent most of my life believing that photos and videos were inherently real and trustworthy,” Mosseri said. “That is no longer the case, and it will take years for us to adapt to this new reality.”
His remarks come as Meta has previously acknowledged its limited ability to reliably detect AI-generated content, despite heavy investment in artificial intelligence, according to a separate report by Engadget.
The comments also coincide with rapid advances in AI tools used to generate and edit images and videos, and the widespread adoption of systems such as Google’s “Nano Banana Pro” and “Veo 3.” They further align with a Guardian report warning of what it described as “digital junk” content increasingly flooding YouTube and surfacing through the platform’s recommendation algorithms.
Distinguishing Real Content
Mosseri argued that it may be easier to label and highlight authentic, original content created by photographers and artists rather than chasing fake or AI-generated material.
He said this responsibility should fall partly on camera manufacturers and smartphone makers, urging them to develop watermarking or image-metadata solutions that would allow platforms to easily identify genuine content, as noted by Engadget.
In a striking suggestion, Mosseri encouraged photographers and artists to share images that appear more spontaneous and less polished, making them easier to recognize as real. He added that the era of Instagram filled with perfectly curated, highly professional-looking images is over.
Mosseri also criticized camera companies for focusing on what he described as the wrong aesthetic, arguing that they aim to make everyone look like professional photographers of the past. Instead, he said, they should prioritize making images feel more natural and imperfect, as a way to signal their authenticity.
