Published : 03 Sep 2026, 03:48 AM
Updated : 16 Sep 2026, 11:47 AM
Instagram is introducing an “AI-generated profile” label for accounts featuring AI-generated people, with unlabelled profiles potentially losing recommendation reach.
The new label replaces Instagram’s “AI creator” label and must be added manually by creators to avoid possible restrictions, the Meta-owned platform said in a blog post on Monday.
Accounts that already have the “AI creator” label will be automatically moved to the new designation. The label will appear on both the profile and its content to show that the identity is AI-generated rather than that of a real person.
The label is not mandatory, but Instagram said its systems will look for AI-generated profiles without it.
Such accounts may be prevented from appearing in recommendations and will receive a notification about the restriction through Account Status.
Accounts can regain their reach by adding the new label.
If Instagram incorrectly flags a profile, its owner can appeal and have the restriction removed if the appeal succeeds.
The label applies only to AI-generated profiles. Creators who use AI tools as part of their creative process do not need to add it, Instagram said.
The move comes as AI-generated profiles become more common on social media.
TechCrunch reported that The New York Times had found hundreds of AI doctors promoting supplements, while Wired found AI influencers promoting a gay dating app earlier this year using fictional men.
Instagram said users had complained about profiles that appeared to belong to real people before they discovered that the people featured were AI-generated.
