A part of Instagram is dead.

Adam Mosseri is currently the head of Instagram. Photo: Vanity Fair .

In his year-end summary message posted on Threads, Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, stated that the platform will be forced to change to adapt to the upcoming wave of AI-generated content. He also warned that the rise of AI has “killed” the platform’s distinctive aesthetic.

“Unless you’re under 25 and use Instagram, you probably still think of the app as a screen full of square images. The aesthetics are meticulously crafted, with heavy makeup, skin smoothing, high-contrast photos, and beautiful landscapes,” Mosseri wrote.

Meta's leader argues that such feeds no longer exist. Users stopped posting candid moments on their profiles years ago. Instead, they update their lives with friends through "unpolished photos of shoes or everyday moments" sent via direct messages.

Mosseri argues that content creators are having to accept the growing popularity of AI-generated imagery. They are gradually replacing meticulously arranged grid layouts and professional photography styles, moving towards a "rawer, more authentic aesthetic."

“Beautiful images are now very cheap to create and also boring to consume. People want content that feels authentic,” he wrote. Social media platforms like Instagram are struggling to cope with the wave of AI-generated content, as tools like Midjourney and Sora make producing images and videos about almost anything incredibly easy.

Meanwhile, Meta is also racing to integrate AI tools into its platforms. Last year, Instagram launched AI Studio, allowing users to create custom chatbots, including digital versions of themselves. Prior to that, the company had also experimented with AI-generated KOLs based on real-life celebrities.

Mosseri stated that over time, social media platforms will find it increasingly difficult to distinguish AI-generated content as the technology becomes more sophisticated. One possible solution is for camera manufacturers to digitally sign photos at the time of shooting to prove their authenticity.

The former Facebook executive argued that Instagram users need clearer labeling of AI-generated content and greater transparency regarding the identities of those posting on the platform. At the same time, the platform needs to build better creative tools so that real-life creators can compete with content entirely generated by AI.

“For most of my life, I could safely assume that the vast majority of the photos and videos I saw were fairly accurate captures of real life. Obviously, that is no longer true,” Mosseri wrote.

Adam Mosseri took over as head of Instagram in 2018 after co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger left. Prior to that, he was a senior leader at Facebook, in charge of the News Feed – a core component that shapes how users consume content on the social network.