Instagram introduces AI Pixel effect for Stories

Instagram has introduced a new AI-powered tool called the ‘Pixel effect’ for Stories, which allows users to pixelate specific people or objects within a photo using text prompts. Powered by Meta AI, the feature enables users to type commands such as ‘the person on the right’ to blur a subject while keeping the rest of the image clear.

While Instagram marketed the tool as a way to assist with ‘soft launching’—the social media practice of hinting at a new relationship without fully revealing a partner—the announcement has drawn significant criticism. Many users have labeled the feature ‘humiliating,’ expressing concerns that it could be used to intentionally hide or digitally erase partners from a social media presence, potentially leading to relationship friction.

Despite the backlash regarding romantic implications, some users have noted practical benefits for the tool, such as allowing parents to share family photos without revealing their children’s faces or obscuring strangers in the background of public shots.