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Scrolling through your Instagram feed and finding an amazing photo might make you say "That can't be real," right? Well here is why there are many people feeling the same way! With AI bots generating these photos using hyper realism (the same style as normal photos) it can be hard sometimes to distinguish between what's real & what's not! This past year or so, the ability for computer-generated photo submissions by
humans has increased dramatically with artificial intelligence (AI) - so much so it will soon become impossible to figure out which are real and which were created by a computer program. From people who never existed being represented in amazing detail as if they were sitting right in front of you, to landscapes from outer space so surrealistically beautiful you'd swear you were there...This phenomenon will only continue - and if anything, continue to grow and have even greater impact on our everyday lives.
Although this technology is so much fun and provides a ton of new creative opportunities, it raises one large issue: trust; Nobody likes to feel like they've been deceived. Recently, Instagram announced through its official Creators account that they are now trialing an “AI Creator” label to identify those users who “regularly” create Ai-generated content so they can self-identify and foster trust with their audience. But what does that mean for the artists creating the art & the average person using Instagram? Let’s simplify.
What is the "AI Creator" Label?
Before we get into the details, let’s first explain what this feature is. The “Made with AI” labels that you may have seen on photos and videos throughout Instagram, are just a few months old to the public. Recently, Meta (who owns Instagram) started labeling photos and videos created or heavily manipulated by AI.
This new test goes a little deeper and will feature labels on entire accounts rather than just individual posts. If a creator is using AI to create videos, photos, or stories regularly, they will display an “AI Creator” label on their entire account. Think of it as a badge that signifies someone with that as a creator has utilized an excessive amount of AI.
Instagram is using a self-identification method to test for the current evolution of AI Creator. This means that Instagram is encouraging creators to self-identify as AI Creators by tagging themselves as such. The intent is to establish an AI Creator community with an expected level of honesty & integrity.
What is the Reason Instagram is Putting an Emphasis on This?
You may be questioning, "Why is Instagram making such an emphasis on this now?" because of recent trends occurring in the evolution of the Internet which include:
1. The Blending of Real and Virtual Worlds
In the past, Artificially Created Art looked nothing like the work created by man because of the numerous human errors present in those works, such as 6 fingers on one hand, the blurry background, or writing that was written in an unknown alien language. Today, there are new technologies (i.e. Mid journey, DALL-E 2, or Stable Diffusion) that can create high-quality digitally perfect works of art in seconds instead of days. Social media outlets have a responsibility to assist their users in determining what is a true representation of reality vs. what is not as the difference between real and virtual images become more ambiguous.
2. Establishing User Trust
On the Internet, trust is the most valuable form of currency. If users continually feel as though they were duped by fake photographs and / or other manipulated content (for example, a staged photograph of a celebrity or an invented news event), they will ultimately become disillusioned with the platform. For example, Instagram is now encouraging its creators to openly label themselves as "AI Creators" so users can see the difference between AI-generated images and images produced by humans. If users know that a photograph is AI-generated, they will be able to view it as artistic digital work, as opposed to feeling deceived.
3. The Emergence of Virtual Influencers
Have you heard of Lil' Miquela? She has millions of followers, works with some of the biggest fashion brands in the world, and even has pictures with many well-known celebrities. However, there is one small detail that sets her apart from the other influencers: she is 100% a computer-generated, AI-driven virtual influencer. As AI-generated influencers such as Lil' Miquela continue to gain popularity, the new profile-level "AI Creator" designation will help users quickly identify these influencers and understand the nature of the account they are following.
What Do Casual Instagrammers Need to Know?
As a casual user who mainly scrolls through Instagram to see photos from friends, watch funny dog videos, and keep updated with the brands they enjoy, this latest announcement is going to positively impact the way you use Instagram.
The addition of AI Creator labels on content will significantly enhance your scrolling experience in ways such as:
No More Guessing: You won't have to spend ten minutes zooming in on an image trying to determine if it is an authentic photo. You'll know within seconds by looking for the AI Creator label.
Increased Digital Literacy: With AI Creator labels becoming more prevalent, our collective ability to recognise AI-generated material will improve. These labels also help us develop our understanding of today's media world.
Enhancing Creators: When you see that an image was created by an AI creator right away, you'll be able to better appreciate the creator's "prompt engineering" abilities. Writing a fantastic prompt that gets an AI to create an image requires skill!
What This Means for Artists
If you are an artist relying upon AI to create your content, you may find yourself second-guessing this change at first. Does labeling yourself as an AI Creator mean potential customers will avoid my page? Is the new algorithm going to penalize me in any way?
Instagram has stated on their official Creators account that this should not be seen as a penalty; it should instead be treated as an opportunity. There are 3 reasons why artists can see this change in a positive light:
1. Create Authentic Loyal Following
This is pretty much a given when it comes to building an audience on social media; being authentic with your audience is key to developing a healthy following. Even if the art you create is generated through AI, the relationship between you and your audience should be genuine. By openly displaying that you are an AI Creator, you communicate clearly to your audience who you are and how you create your art. Those who love AI-generated artwork will actively seek out your를, so you'll have fewer people getting upset because they feel misled.
2. Instagram Officially Recognized the Form of Art That Is AI
Debate on the validity of AI-generated artwork as real art has occurred for decades prior. By providing an official designation to the creators of these works, Instagram is acknowledging this form of art to be a valid method of creative production—and thus supports the creator of the art by simply giving an official title to an area where clearly there has not yet been one.
3. Being Proactive
Right now, Instagram is “testing” out self-identification and encouraging its use. Everyone knows how the technology corporations behave; soon enough this will become a requisite, and algorithms will automatically tag creators using AI-created content and not specifying so. So, as long as they take the proactive stance to begin identifying themselves now, they can continuously enjoy their association with Instagram and demonstrate they are team players.
Competence is key for Creators Using AI
If you are an individual who regularly creates content using generative AI, what do you do in this new world of transparent expression? Here are more than a few suggested best practices for creators as they are subjected to Instagram’s new labeling system in November 2023:
Be Honest: Don’t wait for Instagram to label you; just state in your bio that you’re an AI digital artist, and use appropriate hashtags, #AIArt, #GenerativeAI, and #Midjourney.
Prove Your Work: People love to see behind-the-scenes. As an AI Artist, provide your followers with examples of what prompts you submitted and the failures that happened while generating the final image. Creating a compelling story around the creation of an AI-generated image can add a layer of interest.
Mix It Up: If you are a hybrid creator, posting both real life and AI-generated content, make sure that you are using Instagram’s labels on each individual post to distinguish between the two.
Use the Label: Take the opportunity to become an early adopter of the "AI Creator" profile label if it becomes available to you during this testing phase.
