Meta has removed the Muse Image feature from Instagram following a wave of criticism

Meta has removed the controversial Muse Image feature, which allowed users to use public photos from Instagram to generate images using AI. The feature had been announced earlier and was automatically enabled for millions of users.

Users could manually disable the feature in their settings, but it was enabled by default for all accounts. The only exceptions were private profiles and accounts belonging to users under the age of 18.

Reaction and Rollback

Following widespread criticism in the media—including from RNZ, the BBC, Wired, and The New York Times—Meta and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg decided to discontinue the feature. On the announcement page, the company published a statement:

> “We’ve heard feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it is no longer available.”

Meta explained that the goal was to provide a useful creative tool and give people control over whether their public content could be used in this way.

Experts’ Views

Experts from New Zealand specializing in digital technology and AI called the feature deeply troubling. Cassandra Mudgway, a senior lecturer in law at the University of Canterbury, noted that publishing content does not imply informed consent for its processing or reuse by AI systems.

Andrew Lensen, a senior lecturer in AI at the University of Victoria, called the approach “completely unethical”:

• The opt-out model is unacceptable because most users are unaware of the settings or do not have time to change them;
• government regulation is necessary to prevent such behavior by companies.

Broader Context

The Hollywood agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which represents stars such as Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Zendaya, joined the criticism. The agency’s statement says that no one’s name, image, voice, or creative works should be used by third parties—including AI models—without explicit, documented consent.

Previously, similar concerns were raised about OpenAI’s Sora tool, which allowed users to generate images featuring deceased celebrities and other people. OpenAI subsequently removed this tool from the market.

Before the rollback, Meta had also planned to roll out Muse Image on Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

Source: Hacker News - Newest: ""AI" "LLM""