RECONSTRUCTING AUTHENTICITY IN THE AGE OF GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: A QUALITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS OF AI-ASSISTED INSTAGRAM POSTS

Abstract

The rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has introduced new questions concerning authenticity, transparency, and human creative agency in social media communication. While previous research has largely examined audience responses to AI-generated or AI-assisted content, comparatively less attention has been given to how creators themselves communicate AI involvement in naturally occurring social media posts. Addressing this gap, this study examines how authenticity is communicatively constructed in AI-assisted Instagram posts through qualitative content analysis. The dataset consists of 20 publicly accessible Instagram posts published between 1 and 30 June 2026 that explicitly disclose the use of generative AI. Posts were selected through purposive and maximum variation sampling across different creator categories. The analysis shows that AI disclosure extends beyond simply identifying technology use and is frequently integrated into descriptions of creative processes, production decisions, and human intervention. Across the analyzed posts, AI is predominantly positioned as a supporting or collaborative resource, while creators continue to emphasize aesthetic judgment, selection, revision, and responsibility for the final output. Transparency is similarly communicated through explanations of how and where AI enters the production process. The findings suggest that authenticity in AI-assisted social media communication is constructed not through the absence of technological mediation but through the communicative visibility of human involvement. By focusing on creator practices rather than measuring audience responses, the study contributes to AI-mediated communication research by conceptualizing authenticity as a relational communicative process shaped by AI disclosure, transparency, and representations of human agency.