The AI boom is rattling the creator economy, but Instagram's head says it could ultimately make human creators more valuable.
"In a world where there's an abundance of synthetic content, I actually think people are going to seek out creativity and authenticity and people more, not less. And I think that that will help us," Adam Mosseri said in an episode of Lenny Rachitsky's podcast that aired on Thursday.
Mosseri, who has been Meta's Head of Instagram since 2018, says the platform has long invested in creators because users care as much about the person behind the content as the content itself.
"I think people are going to really seek out other points of view because Instagram was never just about the content," he said.
"It was always about to a certain degree the person behind the content, the point of view, the reason they're sharing it, their perspective. And I think that's going to become more important, not less," he added.
Why Instagram isn't afraid of AI content #
Mosseri's comments come as the creator economy is wrestling with the rise of AI-generated influencers, virtual models, and synthetic videos.
Some creators fear the technology could threaten their livelihoods as brands experiment with digital personalities that don't need salaries, vacations, or even sleep.
Mosseri, however, has consistently said that AI will ultimately increase the value of authentic human content.
In December, he said AI had effectively killed Instagram's polished aesthetic because "flattering imagery is cheap to produce and boring to consume," adding that users increasingly wanted content that "feels real" as social media fills up with "synthetic everything."
Even so, Mosseri said he expects AI to be a net positive for Instagram.
"I think it's going to be a tailwind, but I think it's going to be a challenge," Mosseri said.
Rather than restricting AI-generated posts, Mosseri said Instagram should focus on helping users understand what they're looking at.
"I don't think we should filter out AI content," he said. "I think we should let you know if content is AI content or not."
Instead, he said that content should be judged by its quality and the person behind it, not the tool used to create it.
Mosseri added that Instagram will have to get better at distinguishing high-quality AI content from low-quality AI content. But he said the platform's long-term advantage lies in helping people connect with other people.
"I think it'll be a tailwind for us because I think people are going to seek out people," he said.