Meta has discontinued its artificial intelligence image-generation feature on Instagram just days after launching it, following widespread criticism over privacy concerns and the use of people's public photos without their consent.

The feature, powered by Meta's Muse Image model, allowed users to tag any adult's public Instagram account and generate AI images using that person's likeness. Users whose images were used were not notified when someone created AI-generated content featuring them. Instagram account holders had to opt out manually if they did not want their public images used in this way.

What You Need to Know

  • Meta launched Muse Image on Instagram allowing AI generation from any public profile
  • Users were not notified when their likeness was used for AI images
  • Privacy advocates and talent organizations called it an invasion of privacy
  • Meta pulled the feature within days and said it is reviewing next steps

How the Feature Worked

Meta introduced the Muse Image model as part of its Meta AI assistant on Instagram earlier this week. The tool enabled users to tag any public Instagram account and generate AI-created images featuring that person. The company said it included safeguards designed to prevent violent, sexual, or defamatory AI images involving real people.

But the default setting was opt-out rather than opt-in. Users who did not want their public photos used by the AI had to navigate Instagram's privacy settings and disable the feature manually. Many did not even know the tool existed until they saw AI-generated images of themselves circulating on the platform.

The Backlash

Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen described the feature as an "egregious invasion of privacy." The group's Director of Federal AI Governance and Technology Policy, J.B. Branch, said, "People should not wake up to discover their face has become raw material for someone else's AI experiment."

Talent agency Creative Artists Agency urged Meta to change its policy so that people would have to provide clear consent before their likeness could be used by AI systems. "No one's name, image, likeness, voice, or creative work should be used by any third party, including AI models, without clear, documented consent," CAA said in a statement.

SAG-AFTRA, the largest labor union representing actors, advised its members to opt out of the feature. The union posted on X urging "all Instagram users" to take action to protect their likeness.

Meta's Response

Meta confirmed the decision to discontinue the feature on Friday. "Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way," the company said in a statement.

Alexandr Wang, head of Meta Superintelligence Labs, acknowledged the backlash. "We are definitely receiving a lot of the feedback and are being thoughtful about what the next steps for that product should be," Wang told Axios.

The Bigger Picture

The episode is the latest in a series of privacy controversies involving Meta's AI initiatives. The company has faced scrutiny over how it trains its AI models using user-generated content from Facebook and Instagram, particularly in regions like Europe where regulators have pushed back against data use without explicit consent.

The incident also highlights a growing tension in the AI industry between rapid product deployment and user privacy. As generative AI tools become more powerful and accessible, the question of whether companies should obtain explicit consent or simply allow opt-outs is becoming increasingly urgent.

Bottom Line

Meta's Muse Image feature lasted only days before public pressure forced its removal. The swift backlash and even swifter retreat signal that consumers and advocacy groups are increasingly unwilling to accept opt-out privacy models when it comes to AI-generated content using their likeness.