The new Instagram logo is the perfect embodiment of AI slop

Today, Instagram unveiled a refresh of its wordmark, accompanied by the usual bland corporate platitudes these kinds of announcements are always packaged with.

Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri called it “leaner and more modern, with references to the original and the simplicity and craft that’s always made it Instagram.”

Sure, Adam. Simplicity and craft are definitely what everyone thinks of when Instagram comes to mind.

I might be more inclined to think ruthless algorithmic capture, relentless influencer hype cycles, and don’t forget mining every last gram of your personal data to be packaged and repackaged and sold.

Potato, potahto.

Still, it’s been 10 years since the wordmark was updated, and in the current fruit fly life cycle of frenzied tech rebirths, that’s almost staid. This kind of housekeeping for a brand isn’t something I would normally remark on.

But I had two thoughts when I looked at the new text. The first is the one we probably all had, “Why does it say Instagzam?”