Instagram’s Adam Mosseri Reflects on the Rise of Synthetic Content and the Death of the Old Feed

Change Sweeps Over Instagram

The closing days of 2025 bring a compelling look into Instagram’s metamorphosis from its head, Adam Mosseri. In a thought-provoking post featuring 20 images, Mosseri muses on an internet increasingly dominated by AI-generated content. The Instagram we once knew – a platform for the candid sharing of personal experiences through photographs – seems to be fading into oblivion.

The Revolution in Digital Content: Real or Psychedelic?

Mosseri guides our eyes towards a brave new world that embraces “infinite synthetic content.” The line separating the real from artificial imagery gets blurred, creating a new normal that once seemed peculiar. As he echoes, the advent of powerful AI tools that can create hyper-realistic photos with minimal effort has enabled anyone to weave visual tales. There’s a cultural shift brewing here; one that’s changing our interaction with technology and culture.

In the context of this change, ‘trust’ in the visual medium is undergoing an existential crisis. As Sarah Jeong of The Verge notes, “the default assumption about a photo is about to become that it’s faked.” This sentiment resonates with Mosseri when he reflects on a bygone era where photos and videos were trusted as accurate representations of reality. Now, this trust is dissolving into uncertainty.

Instagram: A Changing Canvas and Its Implications

This onslaught of change is not without a ripple effect, fundamentally challenging Instagram users and designers alike. The platform that once served as a digital archive for real-life snapshots now morphs into a launchpad for synthetic artistry. As ultra-realistic sunsets and exotic locales that influences claim to visit can now be artificially forged, interpreting what our eyes encounter becomes trickier than ever.

As the traditional Instagram – a platform for candid, personal content – is declared ‘dead’ by Mosseri, we are forced to negotiate a new normal. In this landscape, authenticity becomes a slippery concept, easier to forge and harder to concretely define. This prompts a deeper reflection on digital identity, trust, and the role of social media in shaping and reshaping our perception of reality.

As synthetic content sweeps over digital platforms, Instagram must redefine itself to maintain its relevance. Rethinking how it presents and authenticates content will be a paramount concern going forward. New policies, AI detection tools, or content labeling could play a crucial role in maintaining user trust in this brave new world where seeing is no longer synonymous to believing. It will be interesting to navigate this realm with Instagram as it designs its new self, and taking us all along for the journey.

For an in-depth look at this fascinating development, check out the full story at The Verge.