Social Media Giants Pivot to AI-Driven User Algorithms
Social media platforms are shifting away from rigid, black-box recommendation systems toward personalized, user-controlled feeds. By leveraging artificial intelligence, major apps like Threads, Instagram, and TikTok now allow users to actively train their algorithms, effectively turning their feeds from generic broadcasts into curated, interest-driven experiences.
This evolution marks a departure from traditional “Not Interested” buttons. Instead, platforms are deploying sophisticated tools that allow for granular control over content, aiming to boost user engagement by ensuring feeds align more closely with individual preferences.
Threads
On June 16, 2026, Threads introduced “Your Algo,” a private alternative to its previously released “Dear Algo” feature. While the latter required users to broadcast public posts—such as requesting more content about podcasts—to influence their feed, “Your Algo” allows for these adjustments to be made behind the scenes.
Within the new settings, users can:
- Specify topics they wish to see more or less of.
- Set the duration of these preferences for one, three, or seven days.
- Curate their experience without the need for public interaction.
Instagram has expanded its “Your Algorithm” tool, originally launched for Reels in December 2025, to cover the entire platform, including the main feed and Explore page. The tool provides transparency by displaying the topics the app believes a user prefers, allowing for direct manual adjustments.
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, has noted that large language models (LLMs) are central to this shift. By making recommendation logic more understandable, these models allow users to explicitly communicate their content preferences, bridging the gap between opaque machine learning and user intent.
TikTok
TikTok’s “Manage Topics” tool, which debuted in 2024, employs a slider system for adjusting the prevalence of categories like sports, travel, and food in the “For You” feed. The platform also includes informational prompts to clarify what specific categories entail.
In 2025, the company enhanced this feature with AI-powered “Smart Keyword Filters.” This update allows the system to automatically recognize and exclude content based on synonyms and related terms. For instance, filtering “remodeling” now automatically suppresses content tagged with “renovation” or “renovations,” demonstrating a more nuanced understanding of user intent.