Snapchat is now restricting the amount of artificial intelligence allowed on its Spotlight feed. The company announced that it has updated its recommendation algorithm such that AI video content would be de-prioritized, thereby freeing up space for human-generated content.
This was among the first actions by a social media company to curb the spread of easily created, lower quality content created by AI, which had proven enormously popular on the service.
What Snapchat is Actually Changing
The update refers to Snapchat’s TikTok and Instagram Reels competitor called Spotlight. As of now, the short-form video display feature will stop promoting content with artificial intelligence. It does not mean that such material will no longer be on Spotlight, but it will not get as much popularity as human-made posts.
The publication states that the update aims to keep Spotlight as a place for “original content and human creativity,” as the company has striven to do since the beginning of the year. In other words, human-made content will be promoted more actively on the app’s For You page.
The update implies that the algorithm will recognize the difference between human-made and AI-assisted posts. According to Snapchat, their update does not seek to prevent creators from enhancing their content with artificial intelligence. That is why the content will still appear on the For You page. Moreover, the publication stated that, as usual, users would have access to tools that would allow them to edit their content. Thus, the update also makes the content creation process more transparent. In addition, the boundary between human-made and AI-assisted content will be easier to discern. However, one should not forget that the dividing line still exists between material generated by algorithms alone and that which only uses artificial intelligence as an auxiliary tool.
Why this Matters for Creators and Brands
For everyday users, the takeaway from the changes should be simple. Any video created and edited entirely in an AI tool and without any personal contribution or oversight from a person will no longer gain traction on the algorithm for Spotlight. This does not mean that people will stop seeing those creations on the app. However, they will not see as many of them, as the ones that will resurface will be those that have actual human input and not merely AI generated.
For marketers and brands that have chosen to rely on AI generators to create video content, this can be an important lesson. The algorithm changes suggest that any content that has been created automatically and which does not have substantial human input or involvement will no longer gain traction on Spotlight in the long run. For marketers, it means that unless they plan to use AI tools as an enhancement to human-generated content, they might struggle to get their material in front of new audiences on the application.
The changes to the algorithm serve as a much-needed reminder that AI tools are not a magic shortcut to views and engagement. If the automatic tools stop helping creators get in front of viewers on one of the most popular video discovery apps, it stands to reason that those tools will no longer be as useful elsewhere. The entire industry has to rethink its relationship with the AI tools, moving from using them as a means to an end to employing them as assistants that support and enhance human creativity.
A Notable Contrast with Meta’s Approach
What makes this story even more interesting is that it directly contradicts another bet that Meta is making. See, Meta announced Vibes this year, another short-form video app that exclusively features AI-generated content. In other words, it is a TikTok competitor that gives its users a feed made up of computer-designed videos. Meta is particularly bullish about Vibes, calling it a “nascent creative expression and engagement platform.”
Meanwhile, Snapchat is taking the opposite approach. It realizes that, for now at least, its users don’t want an AI-dominated space like Spotlight has recently started to feature. In fact, there is reason to believe that it has already lost significant user engagement to TikTok and Instagram, both of which increasingly utilize generative AI features. Two rival companies are now realizing that the public is not as enthusiastic about the rise of AI-driven short-form video as one might have expected.
It will be interesting to see if Snapchat’s approach will ultimately pay off or if the company will have to rely more on generative AI features to remain relevant in the years to come. It is important to remember that AI video generators are constantly improving, and the line between computer-generated and human-generated media will become increasingly blurred. At some point soon, AI content will no longer be noticeably different from human-created content, and the initial backlash will eventually disappear.
Part of a Broader Industry Pattern
Snapchat is not an island. Across the social media ecosystem, there is now a pattern of platforms developing tools and policies to help users navigate their frustrations with content generated by artificial intelligence. The unhappiness with such material has become so widespread that it has gotten its own acronym, AI slop, which encapsulates the sense of disgust and annoyance among users at the sheer amount of low-quality content being pumped out by these generative systems.
It suggests that the deluge of AI-driven material on the platforms, which has promised to turbocharge the creation of content and engagement, has in many ways failed to live up to the promise. It has also forced companies to respond to this discontent, whether through giving users more control over the algorithmic curation of their feeds or, as in the case of Snapchat, making specific changes to what is promoted within the ecosphere.
Whether this represents a fundamental shift in the relationship between platforms and artificial intelligence, or simply a blip as both users and platforms adjust to new technologies, remains to be seen. As AI continues to advance, entirely new avenues of discussion around its use in the social media space will arise. At present, at least, it seems clear that authentic human creativity continues to hold allure for users, and companies are willing to adapt their systems for the good of the platform, even if such tweaks cut into the potential audience for AI-generated content.
FAQs
Q1: What exactly did Snapchat change?
Snapchat updated its recommendations algorithm so that videos created entirely using AI are no longer promoted via the service’s Spotlight section.
Q2: Does this mean AI-generated videos are banned from Snapchat?
Not exactly. Fully AI-created videos can still be uploaded to Spotlight; however, they will no longer be promoted via the service’s recommendation algorithm. Similarly to how Facebook or Instagram penalize bots, Snapchat will de-prioritize AI spam in its feeds.
Q3: Can creators still use AI tools on Spotlight?
Yes. If a creator uses Snapchat’s in-house AI tools to edit their content, it can still be featured on Spotlight’s recommendation feed. The update only targets videos that were either entirely created or significantly edited using an external AI platform.
Q4: How will viewers know if AI was used in a video?
Snapchat stated that it will continue to notify users when creators use AI tools to make or edit their content.
Q5: Why is Snapchat making this change now?
The update was made to “protect the integrity of the creative community” and ensure that low-quality AI spam does not overwhelm the app’s recommendation algorithm.
Q6: How does this compare to what Meta is doing?
Snapchat is taking the opposite approach from Meta. While Vibes uses AI-generated content as its foundation, assuming that users will grow tired of constantly scrolling through human-generated content, Snapchat is favoring human creators.
Q7: What does this mean for brands using AI to create content?
It should, considering that brands that use AI to generate videos with no human intervention will struggle to distribute their content on Snapchat. However, brands that use AI to assist human creators might not see much difference.
Q8: What is “AI slop”?
“AI slop” refers to the sheer amount of low-quality content that was created using AI. It is expected that platforms will begin removing “AI slop” in the near future.
Q9: Does this affect Snapchat’s other AI features?
No. The update only targets content that was created or significantly edited with an external AI program. Snapchat’s in-house tools that aid humans in creating content are still encouraged by the update.
Q10: What does this signal about the future of AI content on social media?
We can assume that, at least for now, users are not ready for AI-generated content to become the norm, and that social media platforms must take measures to ensure that human-generated content is prioritized. It remains to be seen if this will change as users grow more accustomed to AI-generated content.
