Apparently Instagram can’t tell the difference between Photoshop and AI

Whether we like it or not, AI is taking over the online sphere. The good news is that apps like TikTok and Instagram are taking a stand, introducing labels for AI-generated content – the bad news is, they don’t work particularly well. 

AI art generators are getting slicker and harder to detect so I’m all for a bit of online transparency, but it seems that Instagram’s ‘Made with AI’ label might be a little trigger-happy. Even content with the smallest of Photoshop tweaks seems to be branded with the cursed label, causing concern among creatives who feel their work is being wrongly accused. 

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The issue was first flagged up by photographer Peter Yan, who noticed the tag had been connected to one of his posts. Despite not selecting the ‘Made with AI’ label, his photo of Mount Fuji was categorised as artificially augmented without his consent. While Peter used Photoshop’s Generative AI to clean up the image, the minor edits were far from the work of an AI, bringing into question where exactly we draw the line with AI labelling. 

Similar reports have appeared on Reddit, with user r/JollyCowboy stating: “This happened to me as well on a simple drawing I made. I put a watermark on it in Photoshop (just writing no AI), and it got marked as AI.” While it’s possible to turn the label off, the extra inconvenience could cause real issues for creators who rely on the platform. “It could hurt my page if people believe it,” they add. 

Users have flagged the term “digital creation”, criticising the vagueness of the term in Instagram’s policy. (Image credit: Instagram Help Centre)

While most are grateful for the extra transparency that Instagram is trying to promote, it seems its AI labelling is still a little undeveloped. In an Instagram Help Centre post, the app provided some ‘clarity’ around its new labelling policy, stating that all “digitally generated or altered” video content must be labelled. “Their usage of ‘digital creation’ is way too vague,” one Redditor criticised, while another replied, “Of course they want to train the AI detectors by getting customers to label data for them.”

With the controversial labelling system being likened to “1984” and one user referring to them as “Scarlett letters,” it’s clear that these early days are tumultuous, to say the least. While I’m grateful that more apps are taking a stand against AI misinformation, it seems it may be a while before the systems in place are refined to a satisfactory level – it’s a start at least. 

Instagram introduced AI Labeling similar to TikTok from r/StableDiffusion

For more AI news, check out the AI art stall that sparked a furious response. For some positive news from the controversial world of artificial intelligence, take a look at how AI tech and USD is helping to build CG wonders at VFX studio Lux Aeterna.

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