Instagram might tell you if content is AI-generated

As content created by artificial intelligence continues to flood our social media feeds, it appears one platform is looking for ways to let users know.

According to a screenshot posted to X (formerly known as Twitter) by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, Instagram is working to label AI-created or -modified content so that users can more easily identify it. Paluzzi calls himself a "leaker" in his X bio, which makes sense considering he frequently posts screenshots like these before Meta makes them public.

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The screenshot, which appears to be a notification that might pop up on a post, reads: "The creator or Meta said that this content was created or edited with AI." Lower down on the screenshot, there is an explanation of generative AI: "People use AI tools to create text, images and video from single descriptions." The image also says that users can know when a post uses AI because "content created with AI is typically labeled so that it can be easily identified." There is a link at the bottom of the image to "learn more" about how Meta can "help you understand how AI works in our products."

This comes just a day after the Financial Times reported that Meta might launch its "AI personas," an AI chatbot feature integrated within Meta's platforms, as soon as next month. The feature would let users chat with AI personalities in order to find recommendations or search more accurately. And, just a few weeks ago, Meta launched its latest version of LLaMA 2, its open-sourced large language model that is an alternative to other closed-source LLMs like OpenAI's GPT-4. In June, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in an all-hands meeting that Meta is also working on AI-generated text prompts to modify photos for Instagram Stories, according to Axios.

Since this AI label is just a leak, it's not clear when — or if — this tool will be launched publicly. But it's pretty clear that Instagram and Meta will continue to use AI and, as its use grows, the company will likely provide more information about how to spot it.