What is AI Instagram Trend? Everything You Need to Know

Have you noticed the latest buzz on Instagram? It’s all about the AI trends!

From stunning AI-generated art to eye-catching AI filters, photos, and videos, AI on Instagram is becoming a major wave. These Instagram AI trends aren’t just for technology geeks; these are transforming how everyday users, influencers, and brands create and engage with content.

Brands and creators are leveraging these AI trends to connect more effectively with their audiences. But with all this cool tech, there are some questions that often arise, like which AI apps/tools to use, potential copyright implications, or lack of creative post ideas for Instagram AI photos or video trends.

Stick around with us, this guide will resolve all your concerns on AI trends and how to capitalize on them. 📸✨

What Is The AI Picture Trend on Instagram?

The AI picture trend on Instagram specifically focuses on turning everyday selfies or photos into highly stylized, artistic visuals using artificial intelligence. Unlike basic filters, these AI-generated images often resemble digital paintings, fantasy characters, or futuristic avatars — and that’s exactly what makes them go viral.

Using different tools users can transform their regular photos into bold, creative masterpieces with just a few taps. These Instagram tools apply sophisticated AI filters that reimagine facial features, add artistic effects, or create full-blown avatars.

What makes the AI picture trend so popular is its ability to merge personalization with creativity. For creators and influencers, the AI picture trend is also a strategy for engagement. 

In short, the AI picture trend has redefined self-expression on Instagram, thus making it fun, futuristic, and accessible to everyone.

Understanding the AI Photo Trend on Instagram

The AI photo trend on Instagram is the growing use of artificial intelligence to enhance or transform images into stylized, attention-grabbing visuals. From artistic filters to fully generated avatars, Instagrammers are welcoming AI tools to create content that feels unique, creative, and highly shareable.

How to Do the AI Trend on Instagram (Step-by-Step Guide)

If you’re wondering how to do the AI trend on Instagram, the easiest way to get started is by using a popular AI photo app like Lensa — best known for its Magic Avatars that turn your selfies into stunning, stylized visuals.

Let’s see how it can be done:

Step 1: Install the Lensa App

• Go to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store
• Search and install Lensa: AI Photo & Art

Step 2: Upload Your Photos

• Tap “Try Now”, then select your preferred avatar type and style
• Upload 15–20 clear selfies from different angles
• Click Import, then proceed to checkout and tap Notify Me

Step 3: Generate Your AI Avatars

• Once your photos are uploaded, tap on Magic Avatars
• The AI will process your images and generate unique styles
• Wait a few minutes — processing time varies

Step 4: Customize Your Avatar Style

• Choose from art styles like cosmic, fantasy, anime, and more
• Adjust effects, intensity, or lighting to match your vibe
• Preview multiple versions and save the best ones

Step 5: Save and Share on Instagram

• Download your favorite AI-generated images
• Share them on your Instagram feed, stories, or as your profile picture
• Use relevant hashtags like #LensaAI, #AIart, or #AIPictureTrend
• Tag @lensa.ai to join the community and increase your reach

Top New AI Trends on Instagram in 2025

Instagram has always been a go-to medium for creators and brands to get started with new trends. The same goes for new AI trends; Instagrammers love to brag about their creative skills (which we all know is just a click away in an app). 😜

If you’re thinking what the new AI trend on Instagram is, here’s a breakdown:

1. Ghibli Trend

One of the newest AI trends on Instagram is the Ghibli-style transformation, inspired by the dreamy animation style of Studio Ghibli films. This trend takes ordinary selfies and turns them into whimsical, hand-drawn portraits that feel like scenes straight out of a fantasy movie.

To participate in the Ghibli AI trend, Instagrammers use AI image generators that support prompts or fantasy-inspired outputs. With a photo and a few customizations, the AI reimagines the look with delicate lines, dreamy color palettes, and that signature Ghibli charm.

2. AI Yearbook:

This trend involves using AI to generate a collection of images that imagine what users would look like across different decades or as part of various thematic yearbooks (e.g., 80s high school, futuristic societies). Instagrammers participate by creating and sharing these AI-generated images, often accompanied by humorous or nostalgic captions, to engage their followers in a playful “what if” scenario spanning different times or alternate realities.

3. AI Selfies:

AI selfies transform ordinary selfie photos into stylized versions using AI filters or effects. This trend sees Instagram users applying AI-powered tools to enhance their selfies with artistic touches, turning them into digital art pieces. These can range from subtle enhancements that beautify or alter facial features in a natural way to more dramatic transformations that render the selfie into different artistic styles, such as watercolor, oil painting, or abstract art.

4. AI Avatars:

Leveraging AI to create personalized avatars is another trend that’s gained popularity. Instagrammers use AI apps to generate avatars representing themselves in artistic or fantastical styles. These avatars can be whimsical, realistic, or inspired by popular culture and are often used as profile pictures, in stories, or as part of themed posts. The trend allows users to express their identity and interests in a visually engaging way that resonates with the audience and helps grow followers on Instagram.

5. AI Captions:

AI captions is another trend that gives users and brands wings of creativity to engage their audience and stand out in a crowded space. This trend leverages artificial intelligence tools to generate creative, witty, or contextually relevant captions for Instagram posts. One of the handy tools for this task is SocialPilot’s AI assistant.

Imagine you have worked hard to create a perfect Reel, but you are out of ideas for captions – you can use this tool to quickly generate captions that will help you establish a strong presence. With this AI tool, you can craft captions based on trends and sentiments and select the tone to make it even more targeted.

The Rise of the AI Filter Trend on Instagram

The AI filter trend on Instagram has emerged as one of the most exciting ways for users to enhance their photos and videos with the help of artificial intelligence. Unlike conventional filters, these AI-powered effects can intelligently adjust facial features, add stylistic overlays, or completely transform the aesthetic of an image based on themes like fantasy, cartoons, or surreal art.

Instagrammers are using AI filters to generate eye-catching visuals for Stories, Reels, and feed posts. As AI-powered filters continue to evolve, they are becoming a go-to tool for influencers, brands, and everyday creators who want to create standout content quickly and easily.

3 Art Generators for AI Instagram Trend

If you’re exploring the AI Instagram trend and looking for alternatives to Lensa for generating AI art, here are three popular tools that stand out for their unique features:

1. DeepArt:

DeepArt uses advanced AI algorithms to turn your photos into artworks based on the styles of famous artists like Van Gogh or Picasso. You simply upload a photo, choose your preferred style, and let this tool do the rest. Unlike Lensa, which is known for its selfie transformations and magic avatars, this app focuses on replicating specific artistic styles, making it perfect for those who want to see their photos reimagined in the manner of renowned painters.

2. Prisma:

Prisma is a photo editor app that became famous for its ability to transform photos into artworks using the styles of famous artists through its AI-driven filters. It offers a wide range of artistic effects and is frequently updated with new styles. Prisma distinguishes itself from Lensa by offering a wider variety of artistic filters that mimic specific art styles. It’s more about applying artistic effects to photos rather than creating detailed AI avatars.

3. Artbreeder:

Artbreeder uses generative adversarial networks (GANs) to blend and mutate images, allowing users to create unique artworks by combining different traits from multiple sources. It’s highly collaborative, with a focus on community sharing and editing.

Artbreeder stands apart for its collaborative and iterative approach to art creation. It allows for more experimental blending of features from various images, making it ideal for users looking to explore the boundaries of collaborative AI art, unlike Lensa’s more individual-focused creations.

Each tool offers a unique approach to AI-generated art, catering to different preferences and artistic visions. Whether you’re interested in adopting the style of famous painters, applying quick artistic filters, or collaboratively creating something new, there’s an AI art generator out there for you.

4 Ways AI Art Generators Have Reshaped Instagram

AI has introduced a new era of creativity and build engagement on the platform. With these art generators, you can expand the boundaries of what’s possible and add new dynamics of interaction, making it a more inclusive space for artistic expression. Here are 4 ways these tools have made an impact:

1. Raised Creative Expression: AI art generators have democratized artistic expression, allowing users who may not have traditional artistic skills to create visually stunning images. By simply selecting styles or themes, users can transform ordinary photos into extraordinary pieces of art, encouraging audiences to participate in the engagement process
2. Personalized Content: These tools have enabled a more personalized content creation experience. Users can now generate unique avatars, backgrounds, or thematic visuals that reflect their personality or brand identity.
3. Increased Engagement: AI-generated art often captivates viewers, leading to increased engagement. Posts featuring unique AI transformations tend to attract more likes, comments, and shares as they stand out from standard content. This novelty factor drives curiosity and encourages more interactive exchanges between users.
4. New Trends and Challenges: Last but not least, the emergence of AI art generators has sparked new trends and challenges on Instagram. Users and influencers often initiate challenges that involve creating and sharing AI-generated art, fostering community participation, and bringing users together around shared creative pursuits.

Utilize AI Trends to Become Viral

Instagram as a platform will continue to grow as a center stage for all these trends and allow you, as a brand/creator, to leverage them. With a significant drop in the attention span of the viewers, you need something that is unique and makes viewers stop scrolling and engage.

These Instagram AI trends are not just to show off; they can be a marketing wand if you master them. And to reduce some of your hassle, you can use tools like SocialPilot to create captions for your posts and even schedule, publish, and analyze how they perform.