Snapchat is taking a different approach to the growing rise of AI-generated videos on social media.
As short-form video platforms become increasingly filled with content created entirely by artificial intelligence, Snapchat has announced new rules for its Spotlight platform. The company says it wants to keep the service focused on original content created by real people.
Snapchat announced on Friday that it will no longer allow fully AI-generated videos on Spotlight, its platform for showcasing trending and original videos from creators and studios.
The move comes as more social media platforms face growing concerns about the rise of low-quality AI-generated content, sometimes described as “AI slop.”
Snapchat Wants Spotlight to Focus on Human Creativity
Snapchat said its decision is aimed at protecting the quality and originality of content available on Spotlight.
“As low-quality, repetitive, AI-generated content becomes increasingly common across the internet, we want Spotlight to remain a place where people can discover authentic creativity from real people, because we believe there’s enduring value in rewarding original perspectives, personal storytelling, and the moments that people choose to create and share themselves,” the company said in a statement.
The company believes that content made by real people offers something valuable to audiences, especially as artificial intelligence becomes more capable of producing videos at a very fast rate.
The new policy means creators will not be able to upload videos that are completely generated by AI and expect them to be eligible for Spotlight.
Snapchat Is Not Banning AI Completely
Although Snapchat is banning fully AI-generated videos from Spotlight, the company is not rejecting artificial intelligence altogether.
Creators can still use AI tools as part of the creative process. Videos that have been enhanced or edited with Snapchat’s own AI creative tools will still be allowed on Spotlight.
Snapchat explained that artificial intelligence can still play an important role in helping creators develop new ideas and express themselves in different ways.
“for some, AI plays an important part of the creative process, and we believe it can unlock incredible new forms of expression.”
This means Snapchat’s policy is focused mainly on content that is created entirely by AI rather than videos where humans remain directly involved in the creative process.
Creators can therefore continue using AI to edit, improve or transform their work, provided the final content is not completely AI-generated.
A Response to the Rise of AI-Generated Content
The decision appears to be an attempt to reduce the amount of low-quality, repetitive content created through simple AI prompts.
AI video technology has improved quickly, allowing users to create increasingly realistic videos with only a few written instructions.
As these tools become more advanced, AI-generated videos are appearing more frequently across social media platforms.
Snapchat’s new policy could make it harder for creators to flood Spotlight with large numbers of fully AI-generated videos created with little human involvement.
The company appears to believe that keeping human creativity at the centre of Spotlight will help the platform stand out as AI-generated content becomes more common across the internet.
Snapchat Takes a Different Approach From Meta
Snapchat’s decision also appears to contrast with the approach taken by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
Meta has been more open to the growing role of artificial intelligence in social media and digital content.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently highlighted the company’s work on AI-powered image and video models.
In a post Thursday, Zuckerberg said the technology could create a “nearly infinite universe of personalized content.”
“This is going to make our services a lot more useful and engaging for people,” he added.
Meta’s approach suggests that the company sees AI-generated and personalized content as an important part of the future of its platforms.
Snapchat, however, appears to be taking a more cautious approach.
Snapchat Bets on Human-Led Content
Snapchat’s new policy does not mean that artificial intelligence will disappear from Spotlight.
Instead, the company is drawing a line between content created entirely by AI and content where people use AI as a tool to support their creativity.
The company appears to be betting that audiences will continue to value videos that come from real human experiences, personal stories and original ideas.
As AI-generated content becomes easier and faster to produce, Snapchat believes that human-led creativity could become even more valuable.
The decision could also help the platform avoid becoming overwhelmed by large amounts of repetitive AI-generated videos while still allowing creators to benefit from the technology.
For now, Snapchat’s message is clear: artificial intelligence can be part of the creative process, but fully AI-generated videos will not have a place in Spotlight.
