Meta Faces Backlash for Mislabeling Photos with 'Made with AI' Tag on Social Platforms

Meta Faces Backlash for Mislabeling Photos with 'Made with AI' Tag on Social Platforms

In February, Meta announced it would start labeling AI-generated photos on its social networks. Since May, Meta has tagged some photos on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads with a “Made with AI” label. However, this labeling has angered users and photographers because it has been applied to photos not created with AI tools.

For example, a photo of the Kolkata Knight Riders winning the IPL was incorrectly labeled. The label appears only on mobile apps, not on the web. Photographers, including former White House photographer Pete Souza, have raised concerns about their images being wrongly tagged. Souza speculated that using Adobe's cropping tool might have triggered the label.

Meta did not comment on specific cases but stated it is evaluating its labeling approach based on feedback to ensure it reflects the amount of AI used in an image. The company relies on metadata to detect AI-generated content and is working with other companies to improve this process.

Currently, Meta does not distinguish between photos cleaned up with AI tools and those entirely created with AI, which can confuse users about the extent of AI involvement. Despite the labels, some clearly AI-generated photos remain unlabeled on Meta’s platforms, raising concerns about handling AI-generated content, especially with the upcoming U.S. elections.