Instagram targets deceptive AI-generated influencer profiles

The platform is rebranding its existing “AI creator” tag to “AI-generated profile” to eliminate ambiguity regarding the authenticity of the individuals featured in photos and videos. This policy shift targets the growing trend of digital avatars posing as real people, a practice that has drawn significant criticism for blurring the line between human creators and automated software.

Accounts that fail to self-identify their AI status will face reduced algorithmic reach, meaning their content will be excluded from the Reels and Explore feeds for non-followers. While owners have the right to appeal if their content is flagged in error, the move marks a firm stance against deceptive practices. Notably, the new rules do not apply to content created using AI tools—only to profiles that present an AI-generated person as a real human. Although this does not provide users with a complete filter to remove all AI-generated media, it represents a significant escalation in how Adam Mosseri’s team manages synthetic presence on the platform.