Instagram to limit reach of undisclosed AI-generated profiles

Instagram announced on Monday that it is overhauling how it labels profiles featuring AI-generated people, and will begin limiting the reach of accounts that don't properly disclose this.

The platform is renaming its existing "AI creator" label to "AI-generated profile" to make the disclosure clearer for users. The label signals that the person shown on a profile was generated or substantially created using artificial intelligence. Accounts that use the label correctly won't face any reduction in reach.

The label isn't required for every use of AI, however. Instagram clarified that using AI tools to edit photos, refine captions, or create graphics doesn't trigger the labeling requirement — it applies specifically to profiles built around an AI-generated person.

Reasoning behind the change

Instagram said the update responds partly to users who encountered profiles that appeared to belong to real people, only to later discover the featured person was entirely AI-generated. The company said people want to know upfront when a profile features an AI-generated person.

The move comes as frustration with AI influencers has been mounting across social platforms. Earlier this year, Wired investigated the dating app Goose after finding a network of more than two dozen apparently AI-generated male influencer accounts promoting the app on Instagram, some of which messaged potential users directly. Separately, The New York Times reported in July on hundreds of AI-generated doctors and wellness personalities across social media promoting supplements and making health claims.

The announcement also follows backlash Instagram faced over a tool that let users generate images using other people's likenesses without explicit consent, which Meta subsequently removed. Last week, Meta agreed to an $18 billion settlement with U.S. states over concerns about Facebook and Instagram's effects on children and teens, which includes new default usage limits for teenagers.