Instagram chief Mosseri warns AI frustration will worsen over next two years

Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, stated on Tuesday that public frustration with artificial intelligence will intensify over the next two years. Speaking on the Colin and Samir podcast, the executive described a growing trend of anxiety and anger toward AI, noting that the sentiment extends beyond tech workers and creative professionals to a wider audience.

Mosseri observed that many of the complaints are valid, while others are not. He predicted that the mix of founded and unfounded grievances will make the transition difficult for people outside the technology sector as well. The comments came as Instagram prepared to highlight the launch of widescreen and long-form video features.

The executive cited a specific cultural indicator of this tension: college students booing tech executives at graduation ceremonies. Mosseri acknowledged that these reactions reflect a genuine dislike for the technology. He argued that the core of the worry is a fear of being left behind, a sentiment he said emerges when people have an honest conversation about the impact of AI on their daily lives.

Instagram has adjusted its platform rules to address AI-generated content. The company began requiring AI accounts to label themselves in August, following the launch of a general label for such accounts earlier in the year. Mosseri said the platform is actively determining how to handle AI fakes, though he maintained that banning all AI content is not a practical solution.

The Instagram chief addressed the quality of the content itself. He admitted that while some AI creations are high quality, a large amount of what he called 'AI slop' circulates on the site. Mosseri questioned whether Instagram ranks AI content as effectively as it ranks human-made content, suggesting the answer is probably no. He also noted that the term 'slop' is used too liberally by critics.

Creators have expressed specific concerns about the technology, including the ownership of their work and the use of their material to train models. Mosseri listed safety and job displacement as primary worries for those in fields ranging from content creation to engineering and mathematics. He concluded that these fears stem from a fundamental concern about relevance in an automated world.