Instagram chief Adam Mosseri believes[1] artificial intelligence will redefine creativity by opening the door to people who previously lacked the means or skill to produce high-quality content. Speaking at the Bloomberg Screentime conference, he said the technology could make creative expression easier and faster, though it also poses real risks that society must learn to manage.
A New Phase for Digital Creativity
Mosseri said AI is lowering the barriers to content production in much the same way the internet once reduced the cost of distribution. By removing many of the practical limits around editing, visuals, and audio, AI tools can help more people take part in online creativity. He said this shift will change what audiences see and who gets to participate.
At the same time, he acknowledged that the same tools can be misused to deceive, manipulate, or imitate others. He said young people in particular will need to grow up with a new kind of media literacy, understanding that videos and images are no longer guaranteed to represent real events.
The Blurred Line Between Real and Synthetic
Many creators are already working with AI in subtle ways. Mosseri said most social media content today includes some level of automated assistance, such as filters, color correction, or audio clean-up. Fully synthetic material remains limited, but the distinction between authentic and generated media is becoming less clear.
He described a growing “middle ground” where AI supports creative work without fully replacing human effort. This stage, he said, may define social content for the next several years as platforms and audiences adapt to new forms of creation.
Meta’s Challenge With Labeling
Meta has been testing ways to mark AI-generated material across its apps. Mosseri said early efforts to label AI content automatically often failed, as videos edited with legitimate software such as Adobe tools were mistakenly flagged. He called that approach misguided and said the company is now working to improve its detection methods while also giving users better context to make informed judgments.
The company may expand its use of community-based systems like its new Community Notes feature, which allows users to add corrections or explanations when they agree that additional information is needed. Such tools could help clarify when AI has been involved without relying entirely on automated detection.
Society’s Role in Adapting
Mosseri said responsibility for handling AI’s influence cannot rest solely on platforms. He pointed out that families, educators, and governments all have a part to play in teaching people to question what they see online. He said his own children are learning that a video clip is no longer proof that an event truly occurred, and that they must consider who shared it and why.
Competition and Instagram’s Direction
Beyond AI, Mosseri discussed how Instagram is evolving around user habits. Reels and direct messages are now central to the app’s design, and a dedicated TV experience is under development. He also said competition from TikTok has been healthy for the platform, pushing teams to innovate more quickly.
Mosseri added that TikTok’s recent U.S. restructuring does not appear to have changed how the app functions, since its systems, ranking algorithms, and creator networks remain the same. He said the best outcome for the industry is continued rivalry, since that leads to better work across all platforms.
Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools. Image: Bloomberg Television / YT.
Read next: YouTube Builds Tools to Stop AI Imitations of Creators[2]
References
- ^ believes (www.youtube.com)
- ^ YouTube Builds Tools to Stop AI Imitations of Creators (www.digitalinformationworld.com)