Instagram Changes AI Labels After Creator Complaints

Instagram and Facebook Meta AI Labels
Instagram and Facebook AI Labels Meta

On July 1, Meta announced that it was making changes to how it identifies images with “minor” AI modifications.

Rather than attaching “made with AI” labels, Meta is now attaching “AI info” labels. Users will now have to click the AI labels on Instagram and Facebook to find out more information about what AI software was used on an image.

Why did Meta change its AI labels?

This news comes after numerous photographers and creators sounded the alarm after Meta wrongly attached “made with AI” labels to their images.

Former White House photographer John Souza, for instance, noticed that the label was applied to a photo of a basketball game he took 40 years ago. 

“I had this film processed a couple of days after the game,” he said in an Instagram caption. “I’m not clear why Instagram is using the ‘made with AI’ on my post. There is no AI with my photo.”

He later added in an interview with TechCrunch that he suspects a change to Adobe Photoshop might be the cause. Now, Photoshop users have to “flatten” an image before converting it into a JPEG.

“What’s annoying is that the post forced me to include the ‘Made with AI’ even though I unchecked it,” Souza told the outlet.

In a statement to The Verge, Meta spokesperson Kate McLaughlin said: “As we’ve said from the beginning, we’re consistently improving our AI products, and we are working closely with our industry partners on our approach to AI labeling.”

Further reading:

Content for Creators.

News, tips, and tricks delivered to your inbox twice a week.

Newsletter Signup

Top Stories