Instagram is poised to face a major challenge as the pace of global change accelerates. By 2026, a significant transformation is underway: the concept of authenticity is becoming increasingly replicable.

The unique qualities that once set creators apart—their genuine expression, ability to connect, and distinctive voice—are now accessible to anyone equipped with the right technology. The sophistication of deepfakes is improving, while AI is generating photos and videos that are virtually indistinguishable from real-life recordings.

The internet has empowered individuals by allowing anyone with a compelling idea to reach an audience, effectively shifting influence from traditional institutions to everyday people. The cost of sharing information has plummeted to zero.

This shift has shown that content from individuals holds substantial market value, overshadowing publishers and brands. With trust in established institutions dwindling, audiences now gravitate towards content created by individuals they admire and trust.

Despite criticisms of “AI slop,” there is an abundance of impressive AI-generated content. Currently, AI creations often appear too polished, with unnaturally smooth aesthetics. However, this is set to evolve as AI content becomes more realistic.

As authenticity becomes a rare commodity, the demand for creator-driven content is only intensifying. The focus is shifting from mere creation to crafting something uniquely personal—something only the creator themselves can produce.

Unless you are under 25, you probably think of Instagram as feed of square photos: polished makeup, skin smoothing, and beautiful landscapes. That feed is dead. People stopped sharing personal moments to feed years ago.

The primary way people share now is in DMs: blurry photos and shaky videos of daily experiences. Shoe shots. and unflattering candids.

This raw aesthetic has bled into public content and across artforms.

The camera companies are betting on the wrong aesthetic. They’re competing to make everyone look like a pro photographer from 2015. But in a world where AI can generate flawless imagery, the professional look becomes the tell.

Flattering imagery is cheap to produce and boring to consume.

People want content that feels real. Savvy creators are leaning into unproduced, unflattering images. In a world where everything can be perfected, imperfection becomes a signal.

Rawness isn’t just aesthetic preference anymore — it’s proof. It’s defensive. A way of saying: this is real because it’s imperfect.

Relatively quickly, AI will create any aesthetic you like, including an imperfect one that presents as authentic. At that point we’ll need to shift our focus to who says something instead of what is being said.

For most of my life I could safely assume photographs or videos were largely accurate captures of moments that happened. This is clearly no longer the case and it’s going to take us years to adapt.

We’re going to move from assuming what we see is real by default, to starting with skepticism. Paying attention to who is sharing something and why. This will be uncomfortable – we’re genetically predisposed to believing our eyes.

Platforms like Instagram will do good work identifying AI content, but they’ll get worse at it over time as AI gets better. It will be more practical to fingerprint real media than fake media.

Camera manufacturers will cryptographically sign images at capture, creating a chain of custody.

Labeling is only part of the solution. We need to surface much more

context about the accounts sharing content so people can make informed decisions. Who is behind the account?

In a world of infinite abundance and infinite doubt, the creators who can maintain trust and signal authenticity – by being real, transparent, and consistent – will stand out.

We need to build the best creative tools. Label AI-generated content and verify authentic content. Surface credibility signals about who’s posting. Continue to improve ranking for originality.

Instagram is going to have to evolve in a number of ways, and fast.