Will AI-Generated Images Affect Your Social Posts?

| Published On:
Orah.co is supported by its audience. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn More

AI (artificial intelligence) has recently become embedded in almost every area of our modern lives. From smartphones overflowing with new AI features to the adaptation of AI technologies by many industries, from manufacturing to iGaming and iDebit casinos, AI is becoming difficult to escape.

Another area where AI is becoming prominent is the social media sector. One of the most notable concerns is the ability to create AI-generated content, including pictures. This concern has grown to the point where multiple platforms have created policies to deal with these images. Let’s look at how these policies may affect your social posts moving forward. 

Photo by julien Tromeur on Unsplash

AI-Generated Images

Before the rise of the sophisticated AI models we have today, AI image generation still required immense fine-tuning. However, as machine learning has advanced, new AI generators such as DALL-E and Midjourney have revolutionized the process of generating unique images using AI.

These generators can craft complex, high-resolution images and visual content using a variety of styles, ranging from cartoon styling to realistic images that can sometimes be hard to differentiate from real-life photography.

The rise in the quality of images made by these AI generators has prompted many to use them on social media platforms. This has led to numerous discussions about the potential implications of posters using AI content, as other users may not be able to differentiate between what was created by AI and what was created using photography or digital design software.

Pros of AI-Generated Content

There are various reasons that AI-generated content has become popular among those posting on social media. Among the most common are:

Time

While crafting digital designs or waiting for the perfect moment to take a photo can take a lot of time, utilizing AI to generate images is almost instant. Many of today’s best AI image generators can produce results from a prompt in mere seconds.

Because of this, posters, particularly those who provide a constant stream of content, are finding it more time-efficient to generate content using AI. Using less time to create content gives posters more time to engage with followers and do other things to focus on their profile growth.

Cost

Like time, crafting unique social posts can sometimes be costly, especially if a graphic designer needs to be hired to perfect a post. Using AI, while not always free, removes the high cost of creating quality content. In addition, AI-generated content may provide increased interactions and engagement rates, which could lead to greater earnings for monetized social accounts.

Variety

Another area where using AI generators can benefit content creators is the variety they offer. While creators who generate content from scratch may excel at it, each person naturally has a specific style, which could come out in all the content they create. This could lead to posts that look similar.

Using an AI generator avoids this familiarity, as each post is unique, even if using similar styling options or prompts. This helps creators showcase a wider variety of designs and can attract higher levels of engagement. 

Concerns Surrounding AI-Generated Images

Despite many great advantages to using AI-generated content and an increase of 260% in the number of companies using AI for image creation or at least editing, there are a number of pressing concerns about it. These concerns are what have prompted social platforms to consider policies to aid in transparency when using AI content. The following are some of the most significant concerns:

Ethical

The most prominent concern surrounding AI image generation, and AI as a whole, is the ethical considerations it brings. AI-generated visual content can easily be misleading or deceptive, even if that isn’t the initial intention.

Should this content be posted, it could mislead followers. The rise in deepfakes is also a strong consideration, with many arguing the ethical ramifications of this. 

Authenticity

Second to the ethical concerns, AI-generated content has led to discussions about authenticity among content posters. Without clear transparency about whether an image is AI-generated, followers may be unable to perceive if the creator made the content themselves.

This could lead to followers rejecting human-generated content as AI-generated or vice versa. In either case, posters may suffer from fewer engagements and a loss of the trust of those who follow their accounts.

Reliance

Content creators who excessively use AI to create images can quickly stifle their own creativity or become complacent in AI designs. This erodes the creative expressionism and outlet social media platforms provide for people to share their original designs and content.

Social Policies and What They Mean

As of 2024, all major social media platforms have adopted or are in the process of adopting AI-generated content policies. These policies aim to clearly identify content generated using AI to help foster an environment of transparency and trust among content creators and followers.

More than this, these policies aim to help in the following areas:

Avoiding Misuse and Disinformation

By clearly labeling AI content as such, platforms hope to mitigate any potential misuse or disinformation that could be spread through AI-generated content. This includes deepfakes, which can quickly spread misinformation and create serious real-world problems.

Navigating Copyrights and Intellectual Property Concerns

These policies also attempt to navigate the tricky waters surrounding intellectual property and copyrights that could be explored through AI content. By clearly identifying these images, there is little doubt left as to where the content originates from and can help mitigate any claims to it.

Responsible Use

Lastly, these policies aim to promote the responsible use of AI content. By clearly labeling AI-generated images, content creators may limit their use of this type of content or be more wary about what they post. This, in turn, encourages users to provide more responsible prompts to AI and to think more carefully before posting.

These steps are being undertaken not to discourage AI-generated content but to help creators find a balance between using it and generating their own. In the short term, it is unlikely there will be significant ramifications for posters opting to use AI-generated images. 

However, those that do but responsibly label them can expect a higher level of trust among followers as a result of being more transparent about their content’s origins.

Leave a Comment