Meta has removed a feature from its new artificial intelligence tool Muse Image, following complaints that it turned public Instagram accounts into reference material for creating AI-generated images.
The decision was made on Friday, less than a week after the model was launched. The company that owns Instagram and Facebook stated in a statement:
“Our intention was to provide a useful creative tool and give people control over whether their public content could be referenced. We heard feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it is no longer available.”
What caused the controversy?
Muse Image creates images from user suggestions, like other similar applications. But the controversy arose because, automatically, photos from all public Instagram accounts could be used as a reference for new creations.
This generated a wave of criticism on social networks for privacy violations. Users began sharing instructions to activate an option that would restrict Muse Image’s access to their profiles.
Hollywood reaction
The actors union SAG-AFTRA also expressed concern. It urged its members to change Instagram settings to protect their image. On social network X, the guild celebrated Meta’s decision:
“Given the known risks of non-consensual digital replication, a feature that encouraged such behavior is reckless. We are grateful it has been discontinued. It is the right thing to do.”
