Instagram users think we’re ‘living in the future’ as ‘scary’ new feature is added

Social media users have been left shocked by a new Instagram feature that's made them believe we're 'officially living in the future'.

Advancements in technology are generally welcome things, particularly when it makes life easier.

But Instagram appears to have freaked some people out after introducing something that is designed to improve the reach of content creators around the globe.

Announced by Adam Mosseri, the head of the social media site, this new feature is something that takes an Instagram Reel and transforms it into a highly accessible video.

In the caption of the post, he explained: “We launched translations a few months ago and have a total of nine languages available. If you haven’t yet tried it out, go to ‘More options’ and toggle ‘Translate reel’ on before posting to help make your content more accessible to people around the world.”

Mosseri went on to reveal that the feature actually uses software to change the way your mouth moves so that it actually makes it look like you’re speaking the different languages, as well as creating a true-to-life voice that sounds just like the user.

But while some might be completely excited about this prospect as it aims to increase engagement and the amount of people you can reach online, others were not too keen about its implications.

One person called it ‘scary’, sharing: “It’s a helpful tool but also a scary one. I don’t like that ai transforms my video into me speaking the language. This might confuse people because they probably actually think I speak the language.”

A second person wrote: “We’re officially living in the future.”

Someone else praised the new feature, commenting: “This feature is bringing the world even closer. Absolutely love it! Thanks for this!”

Meanwhile, another added: “Love this feature happy that i could share my content all across the world!!”

Initially, I thought this must be some sort of online prank. So, I tried to create a Reel and see if it gave me the option.

Dear reader, it’s true!

Once you film your Reel and get to the section where you can tag products, add a reminder, add fundraiser or schedule the video, there’s also the ‘more options’ button.

Click on this and you’ll find the ‘translate Reel’ toggle, and if you turn it on, it will ask if you ‘allow Instagram to translate your voice’.

According to the app, Meta AI translates your voice, matches your tonality, and lip movement.

So, depending on where you’re watching the video, you might be French, Italian, or English.