Instagram is changing its labeling rules for profiles featuring people created with artificial intelligence. The platform will rename the existing “AI creator” label to “AI-generated profile.” The new label will inform users that the person in the profile was created with artificial intelligence or prepared largely using artificial intelligence.
Under the new policy, content creators who fail to properly label people created by artificial intelligence may have their reach reduced. Accounts that use the label will not be penalized simply because their profiles feature a person created with artificial intelligence. The change does not cover uses such as photo editing, improving caption text or creating graphics.
Instagram said the change was prompted by concerns about profiles that appear to belong to a real person but are later revealed to have been created entirely with artificial intelligence. The growing prevalence of artificial intelligence influencers on social media and health-related content is also increasing concerns. The New York Times reported in July that it had identified hundreds of artificial intelligence-generated doctors, healers and health personalities promoting supplements or making health claims on social media.
The announcement came after Instagram faced backlash over its artificial intelligence tool, which allows users to generate images using the likenesses of others; Meta removed the feature. In addition, Meta agreed last week to an $18 billion settlement with US states over allegations concerning the effects of Facebook and Instagram on children and teenagers. The settlement includes a default two-hour daily usage limit for young people, a “Night Mode” restriction and notifications muted during school hours.
Why it matters
The regulation introduces a transparency measure aimed at preventing AI-generated people on Instagram from being mistaken for real individuals. The labeling requirement is particularly important for AI-generated profiles that offer their followers health information or supplement recommendations; the source of this content and the way it is presented may influence users’ assessments. The reach-reduction measure shows that the platform is not merely making these profiles visible, but also placing the responsibility for labeling on content creators. By contrast, because the use of AI for photo editing or text enhancement is excluded from the scope, the regulation focuses not on all AI-assisted content but directly on artificially generated people. The development leaves open questions about how these profiles will be monitored and the extent to which users will take the labels into account.
Background
Instagram is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 10 news reports mentioning the name in the last 90 days; the most recent is dated September 5, 2026.