Why your carousel got an "AI info" label (and what to do)
Instagram adds "AI info" when it finds industry AI signals in an image file, mainly C2PA or IPTC "AI generated" metadata and invisible watermarks, or when you disclose AI yourself. Carousels made without AI can still carry that metadata if an AI feature in your design app touched them. If AI really was used, the label is accurate.
What the "AI info" label means
It means Meta found a sign that AI was involved in making the image, or the person posting said so. Meta has said it labels images on Facebook, Instagram and Threads using industry-standard signals, in particular the "AI generated" information in the C2PA and IPTC technical standards, along with invisible watermarks, and that people can disclose AI content themselves (Meta newsroom). Meta doesn't publish more detail than that about how it decides, so treat any page claiming to know its exact rules with care.
Why it shows up on carousels you made yourself
Usually because something in the file says AI, even if you didn't write a word with it. These are the causes people report most often.
The file carries AI metadata from the app you exported it from
Design apps can write an AI marker into an export when an AI feature touched the design, such as a background remover, an "expand" or "magic" edit, or a generated element. Creators report getting the label on carousels where they say they used no AI at all (r/CreatorsAdvice), and several third-party explainers point to metadata as the trigger (PrivyClean). Check your design app's own help pages for what it writes into exports.
One AI element can be enough
A carousel is one post. If one slide or one photo in it was AI-generated or AI-edited, that can be enough for the whole post to show the label.
You turned on the disclosure yourself
Instagram has an "Add AI label" setting when you post. Check it's off before sharing if you didn't use AI, and on if you did.
Can you remove the label after posting?
Third-party sources say you can't remove it from a post that's already live. PrivyClean, for example, says it "cannot be removed after posting" (PrivyClean). Instagram's own Help Center has the final word, so check it for the current rule. If the label is wrong, you have two honest options:
- Delete the post and share a version you made without AI features.
- Leave it up and explain in the caption how you made it.
How to make carousels without giving platforms a reason to label them
Make the slides from your own words and photos, in a tool that doesn't use image models or write AI metadata. Skip AI features in your design app if you don't want the disclosure, and disclose honestly when you do use them. No method can promise there won't be a label, because each platform decides for itself.
One line we hold to: if AI made or edited your content, the label is accurate. Don't remove it and don't strip metadata to hide it. Some design tools' terms forbid removing provenance from AI content too; ScrubPhoto notes this for Canva's AI terms (ScrubPhoto).
Repurposing a thread? See how to turn an X thread into an Instagram carousel.
Where LightFit fits
LightFit Studios is a carousel maker with no AI in the file. Your slides are drawn in your browser from the words and photos you put in. No image model is involved. Each platform makes its own labelling calls.
A photo you upload is still your photo. If you upload an image that was made with AI, that's your content, and disclosing it is your call to make honestly.
FAQ
Why does Instagram say my post is AI when I didn't use AI?
Usually because the image file carries an AI signal, such as C2PA or IPTC "AI generated" metadata written by the app you exported from, or because the AI disclosure setting was on. Meta says it reads these industry signals to add the label.
Does Canva add AI metadata to exports?
Some users report the label on Canva exports that used AI features, and third-party sites point to metadata as the cause. We haven't confirmed Canva's behaviour from Canva's own documentation, so check Canva's help pages for what its exports contain.
Can I remove the AI info label after posting?
Third-party sources say it can't be removed once a post is live; check Instagram's Help Center for the current rule. If the label is wrong, you can delete the post and share a version made without AI features.
How do I avoid the AI info label on a carousel?
Make the carousel from your own words and photos without AI features, in a tool that doesn't write AI metadata, and leave the AI disclosure off. No tool can promise there won't be a label, because each platform makes its own decision.
Is there a carousel maker with no AI in the exported file?
Yes. LightFit Studios draws slides in your browser from your own words and photos. No image model is involved. Nothing in the file gives them a reason to label it. Each platform makes its own calls.
Does the AI label hurt reach?
Meta hasn't published data on that, and we haven't found a reliable public source either way.
Should I strip metadata to get rid of the label?
Not if AI was used. In that case the label is accurate, and some tools' terms forbid removing provenance from AI content. If AI wasn't used, make the carousel again in a tool that doesn't add AI signals.