Social networks must evolve to take on the amount of content that is being generated with artificial intelligence (AI), increasingly more realistic and with greater capacity to imitate what content creators do, which, in the opinion of the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, involves also identifying authentic content and highlighting the signs of authenticity of the creators.
“In a world of infinite abundance and infinite doubts, creators who can maintain trust and give signs of authenticity (being real, transparent and consistent) will stand out,” said Mosseri, in a reflection that he shared in Threads to celebrate the new year about artificial intelligence and the authenticity of content.
Instagram, and the rest of social networks, face a decisive moment to highlight authentic content amid the proliferation of content generated with artificial intelligence, which not only increases the number of photographs and videos that are shared and consumed, but also blurs and even eliminates the line that separates what is authentic from what is artificial.
This is because AI has improved so much and offers such realistic results that it is capable of replicating what a creator does. Because of this, Mosseri says that “authenticity is quickly becoming a scarce resource,” but believes it will “create more demand for content for creators, not less,” that only they can create.
And given the improved finishes offered by AI and the trend of mobile companies to put a professional camera in the hands of users, he also anticipates that the demand for raw content will grow,
“In a world where everything can be perfected, imperfection becomes a sign. Crudeness is no longer just an aesthetic preference: it is a test. It is defensive. A way of saying: this is real because it is imperfect,” defends Mosseri.
GENERATED VS. AUTHENTIC CONTENT
Social platforms also have a role in the growth of content. The first steps have already been taken to identify those that have been generated by AI, so that users can know what they are exposing themselves to.
However, the manager affirms that the trend introduced by AI will change the way we consume this content, since “over time, we will go from assuming that what we see is real by default to starting with skepticism when we see multimedia and paying much more attention to who shares something and why they might be sharing it.”
In this context, he considers that authentic content must also be identified, something that he believes will be “much more practical” as AI improves in its imitation of reality. And this work, he notes, could start with camera manufacturers, who will be able to “cryptographically sign images at the time of capture, creating a chain of custody.”
Mosseri has also indicated that this context will force Instagram to evolve, with better creative tools, both traditional and AI-based, clearer labeling of AI-generated content and fingerprinting of real multimedia content and highlighting the credibility signals of creators.