With AI image generation bursting into the mainstream this year, it seemed inevitable that the tech would make its way into the standard editing tools on major social media platforms. Sure enough, Meta's Instagram has announced the launch of an AI backdrop tool for Stories, and it means AI imagery is likely to become even more omnipresent.
Launching in the US initially, as is often the case, the tools will allow people to use prompts to change the background of images in Stories. Users will be able to choose from suggested prompts like 'on a red carpet' or 'being chased by dinosaurs' or will be able to write their own (see our pick of the best AI art generators for more powerful tools).
A video in a post on Threads shared by Meta’s lead for generative AI, Ahmad Al-Dahle, shows that users will find the icon for the backdrop tool at the top of the UI when creating a Story. The Stories posted using the new tool will feature a 'Try it' sticker including the prompt, inviting other users to also try the same prompt.
The tech itself isn't exactly groundbreaking. Adobe launched Generative Fill in Photoshop back in May, and a range of apps and even some mobile makers' own editing apps feature AI background editing features, but Instagram's new addition makes the technology highly visible and accessible, increasingly the chances that it will be taken up.
Judging by the examples shared in the video, it doesn't look like the Instagram backdrop editor will be fooling anyone yet in terms of realism, but that isn't likely to put people off using it. Some third-party apps may be concerned about a decline in the use of their tools, but the move could also increase the interest in AI image editing tools in general.
It will be interesting to see if the tool catches on long-term or becomes a brief fad like novelty filters. The implementation of AI image generation tools by social media platforms has been fraught with hiccups. Meta has tried to take a cautious approach to the roll out of its AI sticker generator for Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram, but users quickly demonstrated that its content safeguards aren't very effective.
For more of the latest news in AI image generation, see the stunning results from Google Imagen 2.
