Instagram Boss Predicts Rising Public Anger Over AI

Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, stated that public dissatisfaction with artificial intelligence will continue to grow. Speaking on the Colin and Samir podcast, he noted that this anger is spreading beyond young people and creative professionals to a wider audience. He described the current sentiment as a mix of anxiety and frustration that does not appear to be slowing down.

Mosseri warned that the situation is likely to worsen in the coming years. "It's not only getting worse, it's going to continue to get worse," he said. He expects this trend to persist for the next couple of years, acknowledging that some of the public backlash is justified while other parts are not. He noted that this growing tension will make life difficult for many individuals, not just those employed in the technology sector.

The executive also addressed how Instagram handles content created by AI. He admitted that the platform's ranking systems do not treat AI-made material as effectively as non-AI content. "There's a lot of great AI content out there, there's also a lot of AI slop," he observed. While he believes the term "slop" is used too often, he conceded that the company still struggles to distinguish high-quality AI work from low-quality spam.

Meta has implemented several measures this year to manage AI-generated material. Earlier in 2026, the company introduced a specific label for AI accounts. In August, it began enforcing stricter rules on AI-generated profiles. Mosseri explained that Instagram is now requiring AI accounts to label themselves clearly so users can determine if the content they are viewing is real or artificial.

Despite these steps, misleading content like celebrity deepfakes remains a challenge. Mosseri said Instagram is actively determining how to handle AI fakes but does not think it is practical to ban all AI content from the platform. He listed several concerns raised by users and creators, including questions about content ownership, the training of AI models on existing work, and general safety. Many people also fear job displacement in fields ranging from engineering to mathematics.

Mosseri identified a core psychological driver behind the public unease. He said that when he speaks directly with people about their worries, the issue usually boils down to a basic fear. "A fear of being left behind in some way," he said, is what drives much of the current tension around the technology.