Few of us are under the illusion that we own the content that we post on Instagram, but we do get a say in how that content is presented—w can choose which photos and videos we share, what captions appear (or don’t appear) on each post, as well as whether or not we include where the image was taken or shared from. We might not control the platform, but we do control the content of our posts—unless those posts are found on search engines like Google.
As reported by 404 Media, it appears that Instagram is experimenting with AI-generated SEO titles for users’ posts—without those users’ input or permission. Take this post for example: Author Jeff VanderMeer uploaded a short video of rabbits eating a banana to his Instagram. The video was posted as-is: There was no caption, location tag, or any other public-facing information. It’s just a couple of rabbits having a bite.
Instagram, however, took it upon itself to add a headline to the post—at least when you stumble upon it on via Google. Rather than display a link featuring Jeff’s Instagram handle and some metadata about the video, the Google entry comes back with the following headline: “Meet the Bunny Who Loves Eating Bananas, A Nutritious Snack for…” (the rest of the headline cuts off here).
VanderMeer was less than pleased with the discovery. He posted a screenshot of the headline to Bluesky, writing, “now [Instagram] appears to generate titles [and] headlines via AI for stuff I post…to create [clickbait] for [Google] wtf do not like.”
This was not the only AI-generated headline VanderMeer was roped into. This post from the Groton Public Library in Massachusetts, which advertises VanderMeer’s novel Annihilation as the library’s December book group pick, was also given the “clickbait” treatment on Google. Just as with VanderMeer’s post, the Groton Public Library didn’t include any text in its Instagram post—just an image showing off the book. But if you see the post within a Google search, you’ll see the following partial headline: “Join Jeff VanderMeer on a Thrilling Beachside Adventure with Mesta…”
404 Media’s Emanuel Maiberg says that they’ve confirmed that Instagram is also generating headlines for other users on the platform, all without permission or knowledge. Meta did not return 404 Media’s request for comment. (I have also reached out for comment.) Google, on the other hand, did return 404 Media’s messages, and confirmed the headlines are not coming from its AI generators—though it has been using deceptive AI-generated headlines of its own on Google Discover. In fact, the company says its search engine is simply pulling the text from Instagram itself. Maiberg found that these headlines do appear under title tags for Instagram posts when using Google’s Rich Result Test tool. When digging through the code, Maiberg also discovered AI-generated descriptions for each post, which could be what Instagram is ultimately using to generate the headlines.
Why would Instagram generate AI headlines for posts?
I’ll update this post if I hear back from Instagram regarding these AI-generated headlines. Until then, I can only speculate on their intended purpose (assuming Instagram is the one generating these headlines in the first place). And the likeliest reason is to boost engagement: Instagram probably wants to increase the visibility of its users’ posts in search, which means giving Google more information to work with. If the user doesn’t provide their own details about the image, Instagram’s AI appears to be filling in the blanks, first generating a description, and from there, sticking a “clicky” headline onto it.
What do you think so far?
The results aren’t actually all that appealing, though. Just because Meta AI may be capable of generating headlines, doesn’t mean it is good at it, or even that it should—especially when users never consented to this practice in the first place. It’d be one thing if Instagram had an option before you post—something like “Generate a headline for me using Meta AI that will appear in search engines for my post.” Most of us would opt out of that, but it’d at least be a choice. However, it appears that Instagram decided that users like VanderMeer weren’t capable of writing a headline as clever as “Meet the Bunny Who Loves Eating Bananas.”
The worst part is, the AI doesn’t even accurately describe the posts. That Groton Public Library post was only about a book club meeting featuring VanderMeer’s novel, but the headline says “Join Jeff VanderMeer,” as if he’d be making an appearance. Not only did Instagram add a headline without VanderMeer’s consent, it spread misinformation about his whereabouts. And for what? Some extra engagement on Google?
If Instagram wants its posts to appear as headlines on search engines, it should include the actual posters in the conversation. As VanderMeer told 404 Media: “If I post content, I want to be the one contextualizing it, not some third party.”
