Meta Removes AI Image Feature After Instagram Photo Criticism

Meta has pulled a feature from its new AI tool after widespread criticism that it used public Instagram photos as source material for generating images. The company announced the decision Friday, less than a week after launching Muse Image, its first image generation model accessible through Meta AI.

"Our intention was to offer a useful creative tool and give people control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way," Meta stated. "We've heard the feedback that this feature didn't hit the mark, so it is no longer available."

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Our intention was to offer a useful creative tool and give people control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way. We've heard the feedback that this feature didn't hit the mark, so it is no longer available.

The Muse Image tool, similar to other AI image generators, creates visuals based on user prompts. However, it also automatically allowed the AI to reference photos from all public Instagram accounts. This functionality sparked immediate backlash on social media, with users expressing privacy concerns and advising others on how to disable the feature's access to their accounts.

The entertainment industry also voiced its objections. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) urged its members to adjust their Instagram settings to protect their likeness. In a statement on X, SAG-AFTRA applauded Meta's decision, calling the feature "reckless" given the risks of unconsented digital replicas and stating that its discontinuation was the "right thing to do."

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Given the well-known risks of unconsented digital replicas, a feature that encouraged such behavior is reckless. We appreciate that it has been discontinued. It is the right thing to do.