Instagram chief Adam Mosseri says you won’t trust images the same way again because AI changed the rules

Instagram

• Instagram's Adam Mosseri warns AI makes fake visuals hard to spot
• Platforms may use digital markers to verify real photos and videos
• Users must question sources and boost media literacy to spot fake content

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Instagram head Adam Mosseri has issued a candid warning about the future of social media: we are entering a time when seeing is no longer believing. In a year-end post, Mosseri admitted that for most of his life, he could assume a photo or video was a real moment captured by a camera. But 2025 has changed that assumption completely. Artificial intelligence tools are now capable of producing images and videos that look shockingly real, even when they are entirely fabricated.

Mosseri explained that AI-generated content is improving faster than most people expected. Photos can be created from scratch with lifelike detail. Videos can be produced using a single image, complete with expressions, motion, and voice. These advancements are no longer niche experiments. They are mainstream tools that anyone can access. This means the default trust we once placed in visual content is no longer safe.

He stressed that social platforms, including Instagram, will need to rethink their approach. According to Mosseri, simply trying to detect fake media will soon feel like running on a treadmill that keeps getting faster. Instead, he suggested a more logical shift: verify what is real, not chase what is fake. He believes that digital markers or fingerprints could one day accompany authentic photos and videos from the moment they are captured. This would help prove originality in a world flooded with synthetic creations.

Mosseri also spoke about the role of users. He believes people will need to adjust how they consume content. Instead of trusting every video that looks genuine, users must pay closer attention to the source. Who is sharing this? Why are they sharing it? These questions will become more important than zooming into pixels or studying lighting errors. Mosseri predicts that media literacy, once considered a secondary skill, will now become essential for everyday scrolling.

Interestingly, he added that the rise of AI perfection might make real, unpolished moments more valuable. When feeds are filled with flawless AI-made visuals, the natural imperfections of real life could become a quiet signature of truth. A shaky camera, unfiltered lighting, or an unscripted moment might resonate more than something technically perfect but emotionally hollow.

Mosseri’s reflection paints a clear picture of what lies ahead. Social media in 2026 will be smarter, stranger, and less straightforward. The line between human-created and machine-made content is blurring rapidly. Platforms will need better labels. Users will need sharper instincts. And trust will shift from being an assumption to a conscious choice.

For Instagram, a platform built on visuals, this could mark the start of a major evolution in how content is created, shared, and believed. The message is simple. The future will look real, even when it is not. The responsibility to tell the difference will fall on both the platforms and the people who use them.