Instagram head Adam Mosseri has suggested that platforms should focus on verifying authentic content rather than chasing AI-generated fakes, as artificial intelligence becomes ubiquitous on social media. In a post outlining trends for 2026, he highlighted how AI is transforming the platform and empowering creators. Mosseri emphasized the need for camera manufacturers to cryptographically sign images at capture to establish authenticity.
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, shared his vision for the platform's future in a detailed post on December 31, 2025, amid the rapid rise of AI-generated content that dominated social media feeds throughout the year. He noted that AI has made elements once unique to creators—such as authenticity, connection, and an inimitable voice—accessible to anyone with the right tools. "Everything that made creators matter—the ability to be real, to connect, to have a voice that couldn’t be faked—is now suddenly accessible to anyone with the right tools," Mosseri wrote. "The feeds are starting to fill up with synthetic everything."
Despite the shift, Mosseri expressed optimism about AI's potential, describing much of the content as "amazing." However, he acknowledged growing challenges in distinguishing real from fake media. Social platforms face increasing pressure to label AI-generated content, but as AI improves at mimicking reality, detection efforts will become less effective. Mosseri proposed an alternative: "It will be more practical to fingerprint real media than fake media." He suggested camera manufacturers could implement cryptographic signing at the point of capture, creating a verifiable chain of custody for images.
This approach aligns with Meta's struggles to reliably identify manipulated content, despite investing tens of billions in AI this year. Existing methods like watermarks have proven unreliable and easy to circumvent. Mosseri also addressed frustrations from photographers and creators, who complain about algorithmic biases against their posts. He argued that the era of polished, square images is over, urging creators to embrace raw, unflattering visuals to demonstrate genuineness in an AI-saturated environment. As Instagram serves 3 billion users, this pivot could redefine content creation and trust on the platform.
