Instagram Is Labeling Real Photos as AI-Generated, Here’s Why

Instagram has recently expanded its use of artificial intelligence labels and disclosures, automatically marking images and other content it suspects may have been created or significantly modified using AI. But the system appears to be struggling to distinguish between genuine photographs and AI-generated material, with some real images being incorrectly labeled as AI-generated while some AI-created content remains unmarked.

The issue, highlighted in a report by the U.S. technology website The Verge, is raising questions about how Instagram determines whether an image has been produced or altered with artificial intelligence. For users, the problem is particularly frustrating because the platform does not currently appear to provide a clear explanation or a reliable way to control when an AI label is applied.

In some cases, the label appears to have been triggered by relatively minor editing actions rather than by the creation of an entirely artificial image.

Users have reported different experiences across social media. One user said on Threads, Meta’s social networking platform, that an AI-generated label appeared after they substantially removed the background from a photograph using an editing tool. Another user reported seeing the same label after editing an image through Canva.

The result is an increasingly confusing situation: an authentic photograph can be presented to Instagram users as AI-generated, while some genuinely AI-created content may not receive the same warning.

Instagram’s AI labeling system has faced problems before

This is not the first time Instagram has encountered difficulties with AI-related labels.

A similar controversy emerged in 2024, when the platform reportedly placed AI labels on a large number of photographs that had not actually been generated by artificial intelligence.

At the time, Meta, Instagram’s parent company, explained that its systems were examining images for metadata and other indicators, including standards associated with IPTC and C2PA. Such information can provide evidence about whether an image was created or modified using AI.

However, as The Verge reported, these indicators could sometimes result in an image being labeled as AI-generated even when the involvement of artificial intelligence was extremely limited.

That distinction matters. Modern image-editing platforms increasingly integrate AI-powered tools into otherwise conventional editing workflows. A photograph does not necessarily become an AI-generated image simply because an automated feature was used to make a relatively small adjustment.

This creates a difficult classification problem for social media platforms. A system designed to help users identify synthetic media can also end up creating misleading labels when it interprets minor AI-assisted editing as evidence that an entire image was generated by artificial intelligence.

Canva appears to have played a role

Part of the confusion appears to involve Canva, the widely used online design and image-editing platform.

According to The Verge, Canva acknowledged that some of its content-assistance tools had been carrying AI-related metadata. The company reportedly told a content creator that certain tools, including background-removal functionality, could cause images to carry an AI-generated designation.

Canva subsequently fixed the issue.

The problem does not appear to be limited to Canva, however. Similar situations have reportedly occurred with photographs edited using Apple's iPhone editing tools. Other images may also contain metadata designed to prevent AI systems from reading or using them for training purposes, creating additional complications for automated classification systems.

Taken together, these examples suggest that there is no single, straightforward explanation for why Instagram applies an AI-generated label to a particular photograph.

The label may be influenced by the editing software used, metadata embedded in the file, the way an image was processed, or signals detected by Instagram's own systems.

Instagram is also targeting fully AI-generated influencer accounts

The latest labeling problems come as Instagram is expanding its efforts to identify accounts operated by influencers who are entirely generated through artificial intelligence.

According to the U.S. technology website TechCrunch, Instagram has said it plans to identify AI-generated influencer accounts with specific labels and potentially reduce their reach if they fail to disclose that their content is artificially generated.

The policy is intended to increase transparency rather than automatically punish creators who use AI.

If an account discloses that an image or other content was generated using artificial intelligence, it would not necessarily face restrictions or penalties under the system described in the report.

That distinction is important because Instagram's approach appears to focus increasingly on disclosure. The platform wants users to understand when they are interacting with synthetic or AI-generated content, while still allowing creators to use AI tools.

But inaccurate labels undermine that objective.

If an ordinary photograph is incorrectly identified as AI-generated, users may begin to question the reliability of Instagram's disclosures. At the same time, if genuine AI-generated content goes undetected, users may receive a false sense of authenticity.

How can users avoid Instagram’s AI label?

For now, there does not appear to be a definitive method that guarantees a legitimate photograph will not receive an AI-generated label.

Some users have suggested avoiding certain Canva tools, particularly background-removal functions, until the underlying metadata issue is fully resolved. Others have simply chosen to ignore the label because Instagram does not currently offer a clear mechanism allowing users to determine exactly why it was applied.

The broader problem reflects a growing challenge for the social media industry.

As AI becomes integrated into everyday photo-editing applications, the boundary between a traditional photograph and an AI-assisted image is becoming increasingly difficult to define. A picture may be captured entirely by a camera but subsequently processed using an AI-powered feature. Conversely, an image may be completely synthetic while containing little obvious evidence that it was generated by a machine.

For platforms such as Instagram, distinguishing between these categories at scale is becoming a technological and policy challenge.

For users, meanwhile, the current situation can be summed up rather simply: an AI label on Instagram does not necessarily mean that the entire image was created by artificial intelligence.

Until the platform provides more transparent labeling criteria and greater control for users, incorrectly classified photographs are likely to remain a source of confusion.

The central question is no longer simply whether an image is “real” or “AI.” Increasingly, the more relevant question is how much artificial intelligence was involved in creating or editing it — and whether Instagram can accurately tell the difference.