Adam Mosseri says negativity around AI is ‘going to get worse’

Instagram's CEO, Adam Mosseri, acknowledged that concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) are growing and will likely worsen in the coming years. In an interview, Mosseri stated that the negativity surrounding AI stems from a fear of being left behind in some way. He noted that the trend of college students booing tech CEOs at graduation ceremonies is indicative of widespread dislike for AI, not just among young people and creatives.

Speaking on the Colin and Samir podcast about the launch of widescreen and long-form video for Instagram, Mosseri highlighted that there's a noticeable increase in anxiety, frustration, and anger related to AI, particularly in creative industries. While he admitted that some concerns are well-founded, others appear unfounded. Mosseri emphasized that Instagram does not differentiate between AI creators and non-AI creators but acknowledged the need for improvement in ranking AI content versus non-AI content.

He believed that the term "AI slop" is often used too freely, referring to low-quality AI-generated content.

Instagram took action against AI-generated profiles in August, introducing labels for AI accounts earlier this year. However, misleading AI content, such as celebrity deepfakes, remains a persistent issue. Mosseri shared that Instagram is actively working on addressing AI fakes but ruled out banning AI content altogether, arguing that it's impractical.

Instagram is now requiring AI accounts to label themselves, aiming to make it clear to users whether the content they encounter is real or generated. Mosseri also recognized the various concerns people have regarding AI, including issues of content ownership, safety, job displacement, and fears of being left behind in their respective fields. Ultimately, he attributed these anxieties to a fundamental fear of being left behind in some capacity.