Instagram Introduces Assistive AI for Visual Creation

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You know what Instagram needs more of? More generative AI images and videos, and Meta’s looking to cater to this with some updates to its “Restyle” feature that’ll make it easier to edit, reimagine, or fully transform your content in the app.

As you can see in this example sequence, using IG’s updated Restyle options, you can now more easily edit your images via conversational prompts in-stream.

As explained by Instagram:

“Whether you want to simply remove an unwanted detail from your story, include a playful element, change the vibe using a whimsical effect, or start a trend with your friends with Add Yours stickers, now you can. Restyle your photos and videos in Instagram Stories to make edits, big or small using Meta AI.”

Which is actually a good use of AI features, in terms of making it easy to utilize editing tools as a complement to your own content, as opposed to wholly generating entire images.

Though you can do that as well, but the update is primarily designed as a smart editing and revision process, which can help you create more compelling, interesting visuals in the app.

Using the updated Restyle option, you can:

Remove unwanted elements from the background
Add in extra elements to the scene
Change or customize any element of your image

So again, it’s not so much designed as an AI prompt that will generate whole images or videos for you, but more an editing tool to customize your own uploads, using AI as a tool within your process (as opposed to it being the whole process itself).

“Experiment with your fashion by using preset effects like ‘sunglasses,’ ‘biker jacket’ or even ‘black clothes’ to transform your outfits. Or you can change the whole style of the image itself to make it look like a watercolor or film noir. Better yet, use these presets as a starting point to spark creativity. You can apply any effect and then type in additional changes you want to make to edit your content in seconds.”

It could be a handy addition, which could make it more interesting to share your own updates, without also contributing to the flood of AI slop that’s slowly taking over social media feeds.

The problem with AI slop is that, for one, it’s confusing, and people are more hesitant to share any content that they’re not sure about, for fear of being criticized for now realizing that it’s AI.

But also, research suggests that more and more people are raising concerns about AI, and its environmental impacts, as well as it being just too fake and disingenuous. That’s even prompted some brands to eschew the tech in their marketing, and in a broader sense, the influx of generative AI images has made it a turn off for many users, who are now zooming in on every detail to find the cracks in the seams of these creations.

The best way to use the latest AI tools, in all contexts, is as an assistive element. As a complement to human work, AI tools can increase efficiency, and enhance opportunities, but they shouldn’t, in general, be the alternative solution to tasks normally undertaken by humans.

Which also relates to creative work, and while some AI creatives can look great, I would argue that it’s the creator’s knowledge and skill that makes for great, resonant work, AI-assisted or not.

As such, these tools could be helpful in enhancing creativity, through simplified image editing controls built into the IG process.

In addition to this, you can also use preset effects for your images.

While using the “Add Yours” sticker on your AI-enhanced photos and videos will enable others to use the same settings.

That could help to spark new trends with the best of these AI-assisted creations.

Instagram has also provided some tips on how to create effective AI prompts to assist in your process:

Subject (like “add a crown on top of the girl’s head”)
Lighting and mood (like “add dramatic lighting”, “have light from just a single paparazzi flash”)
Composition needs (like “in the bottom left corner”, “in the background”)
Style (like “make photorealistic”, “film noir style”)
Location (“in outer space”, “in Paris”)

So, more specific language, and guidance for the AI bots, which will then give you better outputs, while also further integrating your own creativity by bringing your vision to life.

You can use Instagram’s updated Restyle option by selecting an image from your camera roll to add to your story, then selecting the “Restyle” icon in the top tray (as shown in the first example above).