The main risk Instagram faces is that, as the world changes more rapidly, the platform fails to keep up. Looking forward to 2026, a major shift: authenticity is becoming infinitely reproducible.
Everything that created the ability for creators to experience reality, the ability to connect, a sound that can’t be faked—is now accessible to anyone with the right tools. Deepfakes are getting better. Produce images and videos separately from captured media.
Power has shifted from institutions to individuals as the Internet has made it so that anyone with a compelling idea can find an audience. The cost of sharing information is zero.
Individuals, not publishers or brands, establish that there is a significant market for people’s content. Trust in institutions is at an all time low. We’ve turned to self-capturing content from creators we trust and admire.
We want to complain about the “AI slope”, but there is amazing AI content. Even the standard AI content has a look: very smart, very smooth. This will change – we’re going to see more realistic AI content.
Authenticity is becoming a scarce resource, which drives more demand for creators’ content, not less. Bar “Can you create?” “Can you make something that only you can make?”
Unless you’re under 25, you probably think of Instagram as a feed of square photos: polished makeup, smooth skin and beautiful landscapes. That feed is dead. People stopped sharing personal moments to feed years ago.
People’s primary method now is in DMS: blurring images and shaky videos of everyday experiences. Shoe shots and unsolicited candidates.
This raw aesthetic has permeated public content and artforms.
Camera companies are betting on the wrong aesthetic. They have been competing to make everyone look like a pro photographer since 2015. But in a world where AI can produce flawless imagery, a professional look becomes a thing.
Flattering imagery is cheap to create and boring to use.
People want content that feels real. Savvy creators are hooked on unedited, flawless images. In a world where everything can be perfected, the imperfect becomes the indicator.
Rawness is no longer just an aesthetic preference—it’s a testament to it. It is defensive. A way of saying: it is real because it is imperfect.
Relatively quickly, the AI will create any aesthetic you like, including an imperfect one that presents as authentic. At this point we need to focus on saying something instead of what is being said.
For most of my life I could safely assume that photos or videos were accurate captures of mass moments that happened. This is clearly no longer the case and will take years to adapt.
We’re going to move from understanding what we’re seeing to starting with skepticism. Pay attention to who is sharing what and why. It would be uncomfortable – we’re genetically predisposed to believe our eyes.
Platforms like Instagram will do a good job at identifying AI content, but over time they will get worse as the AI gets better. This would be more practical for fingerprint genuine media than fake media.
Camera manufacturers will sign the photos at the time of arrest, which will continue the chain of custody.
Labeling is only part of the solution. We need a lot more surface
Context about accounts sharing accounts so people can make informed decisions. Who is behind the account?
In a world of infinite abundance and infinite skepticism, creators who can maintain trust and signal authenticity — authentically, transparently, and consistently — will stand out.
We need to build better creative tools. Label AI-inflated content and verify authentic content. Surface reputation is a signal about who is posting. Continue to improve rankings for originality.
Instagram has to evolve in multiple ways, and fast.
