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Reviewed and published by trentmaziarz, March 24, 2026. Discovered and drafted by our automated research pipeline.
Instagram's Explore tab uses AI to show users photos and videos from accounts they have never seen, chosen to match their interests. The system runs multiple AI models in sequence to narrow down and rank content from across the entire platform. Instagram published a technical explanation in June 2023.
Details
The Explore system operates in three stages. First, a retrieval stage uses collaborative filtering (identifying users with similar taste to predict preferences) and network analysis to gather up to 1,500 candidate posts. Second, an early ranking model narrows these to 100. Third, a final ranking model uses multi-task learning — predicting the likelihood of multiple engagement types simultaneously — to produce the final order of content shown. The system has been linked to concerns about content "rabbit holes" and to body image research from Meta's own internal studies.
Products affected
Instagram Explore
Sources & Evidence
Cite this record
Trace Foundation. (2026). Instagram: Instagram's Explore tab uses AI to show users photos and videos from accounts they have never seen, chosen to match their interests. The system runs multiple AI models in sequence to narrow down and rank content from across the entire platform. Instagram published a technical explanation in June 2023 (data as of 2026-03-24) [Data set record]. AI Trace. https://www.aitrace.org/r/practice/27685ac6-1ab9-4214-9afa-c801a3b1e633. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- Stable link
- https://www.aitrace.org/r/practice/27685ac6-1ab9-4214-9afa-c801a3b1e633
- Data as of
- March 24, 2026
- Last verified
- March 24, 2026
Other practices by Instagram
OtherInstagram automatically transcribes spoken words in Stories and Reels into on-screen text captions using AI speech recognition. Users add a "Captions" sticker to any video with speech and the text appears automatically. This feature launched on Instagram Stories in May 2021.OtherWhen Instagram users try to change their stated age from under 18 to 18 or older, they may be asked to complete an AI-powered face scan to estimate their age. Separately, Meta uses a background AI system that monitors Instagram account behavior to detect users who may be younger than they claim. Both systems are specific to Instagram's teen safety program.OtherInstagram automatically applies a label — called "AI Info" — to photos, videos, and audio that were created or significantly modified using AI tools. The labels appear on content from Instagram's own AI features as well as from third-party tools like Adobe Firefly and Midjourney. The system launched in May 2024 and has faced criticism for inconsistent application.
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