Instagram head Adam Mosseri has said that the time when people could trust photos and videos at first glance is ending as AI-generated content is becoming more realistic. Mosseri shared his thoughts in a long Instagram post near the end of 2025, using 20 images to explain how online content is changing. His main point was clear: images can no longer be treated as simple records of real moments.
“For most of my life I could safely assume photographs or videos were largely accurate captures of moments that happened. This is clearly no longer the case and it’s going to take us years to adapt,” Mosseri wrote.
“We’re going to move from assuming what we see is real by default, to starting with skepticism. Paying attention to who is sharing something and why. This will be uncomfortable – we’re genetically predisposed to believing our eyes.”
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According to Mosseri, Instagram and other platforms need to evolve quickly. He said companies must create better creative tools, clearly label AI-made content, and verify real photos and videos. Platforms should also show signals that help users understand who is posting something and whether they are trustworthy. Another goal, he says, is to improve the ranking of original work.
Mosseri admitted that people often complain about AI slop, but he said that some AI-made content is “amazing.” For now, raw and imperfect photos can act as a signal that something is real. But Mosseri warned that this will not last. Once AI can copy flaws and mistakes, he believes trust will shift away from the image itself. Then “we’ll need to shift our focus to who says something instead of what is being said.”
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This conversation is not new. For years, photographers, journalists, and creators have been asking a simple question: what even counts as a photo anymore? As AI tools become more powerful, that question is becoming harder to answer.