Instagram launches Effect Builder, a tool that generates custom filters for its Stories from a written description. Available now for US residents aged over 18, it arrives after the extension of the Edits app to macOS, of which it is the next step.
Effect Builder offers a text input field where the user describes the desired effect to a chatbot. It is possible to attach reference images for style. The user can then import their own photos to preview the AI-generated effects and request modifications through successive prompts.
An automatically rewritten prompt
The tool also includes an option allowing Instagram’s AI to rewrite the user’s prompt. During a test, the phrase “Make a filter that turns photos into comic book pages” was transformed into several paragraphs of detailed style requests, covering aspects from the color palette to the lighting.
However, the resulting filter closely resembled the one generated from the original, single-line prompt in almost every respect. The source’s writer indicates having observed this outcome during their test.
A validation before publication
Filters can be submitted directly to Instagram from Effect Builder. Before being accessible to other users, however, they must pass a security review. Once approved, according to the company, the effect “appears in Instagram Stories for everyone to use, and each time a user employs your effect, we will link back to your profile so it’s easy for others to find your work”.
