As AI makes realistic images and videos effortless to generate, Instagram’s Adam Mosseri argues that trust online will shift away from visual proof toward identity, credibility and cryptographic verification—forcing platforms and creators to adapt fast. (Source: Image by RR)

Instagram’s Adam Mosseri Says AI Has Undermined Trust in Photos and Videos

Instagram head Adam Mosseri is warning that the internet has entered a phase where visual evidence can no longer be trusted by default. In a detailed end-of-year reflection, Mosseri argued that advances in AI-generated and AI-edited imagery have fundamentally broken the long-standing assumption that photos and videos represent real moments. As synthetic media becomes indistinguishable from captured reality, platforms and users alike must adapt to a new baseline of skepticism.

Mosseri believes this shift will be deeply uncomfortable, as humans are biologically wired to trust what they see. He argues that society is moving away from assuming media is real toward questioning who is sharing it and why. This transition, he says, will take years and will reshape how trust is established online. The challenge, according to an article in theverge.com, is compounded by the rise of deepfakes, AI-generated imagery, and tools that make producing realistic content trivial for anyone.

In response, Mosseri outlined how Instagram must evolve. He emphasized the need to label AI-generated content, verify authentic media, surface credibility signals about accounts, and reward originality in ranking systems. Over time, however, he expects AI detection to become less effective as models improve. Instead, Mosseri predicts that cryptographic signing of images at capture, likely built into cameras and devices, will become the most reliable way to establish a chain of authenticity.

Mosseri also challenged the direction taken by camera manufacturers, arguing they are chasing the wrong aesthetic by trying to make everyone look like a professional photographer from a decade ago. In a world where flawless imagery is cheap and abundant, perfection becomes suspicious. For now, raw, unpolished content acts as a signal of reality—but even that advantage will fade as AI learns to replicate imperfection. Ultimately, Mosseri believes trust will hinge on creators themselves: consistency, transparency, and identity will matter more than visuals alone in an era of infinite synthetic content.

read more at theverge.com