Meta pulls controversial AI image generator feature after users reject deepfake tagging ability

Meta rolls out Muse, a new AI image generator

Meta has unveiled its new AI image generator, Muse Image, which was produced by Meta Superintelligence Labs, the company's dedicated AI unit. The new feature, which was internally code-named Mango, will be available for free through the Meta AI app, as well as in Instagram Stories and WhatsApp. What exactly can you do with Muse? It sounds like the use-cases are similar to most other AI image generators -- you'll be able to create a whole lot of goofy and cartoonish images, for instance. If you're suffering from a dearth of imagination and can't come up with any original prompts on your own, Meta says that Muse comes with "presets" -- prefabricated image prompts -- to "spark ideas." An accompanying video shows other potential uses. One is to use Muse to create custom ads (AI has notably crept into advertising over the past year) or to play around with interior decoration ideas (in the video, a user leverages Muse to see what a used couch might look like in their garage). This last function is designed to be integrated with Facebook Marketplace, Meta's popular Craigslist-like locus of used furniture and accessories. The model also features prompt-based image editing, which can be used to create images to share across Meta's various apps and platforms. "Ask it to mock up an image of you in front of a historical landmark, cleanly erase a photobomber from the background of a shot, or write a custom prompt to build a functional QR code," the company offers. At the same time, Meta is launching a host of new AI effects for Instagram Stories which are supported by Muse. Those effects include various customizable filters that can be used to modify existing photos. Meta says that the use of the new AI model is free for "everyday creation" although, past a certain limit, users will need to use Meta's subscription plans. The company also said that Muse Video -- presumably an AI video generator -- is "already in development." TechCrunch reached out to Meta for more information. Meta has released a number of AI apps and services over the past year, including an assistant called Creator, and Pocket, an app that can be used to vibe code video games. The company has been accused of having a nebulous AI strategy, although it's still on track to spend a whole lot on AI infrastructure this year as it continues to build out its services.

Meta Now Lets Anyone Use Your Instagram Photos in AI Images -- Unless You Opt Out

Meta launched its inaugural AI image model from the Meta Superintelligence Labs on Tuesday, its effort to compete with the likes of OpenAI's GPT Images 2.0 and Google's Nano Banana 2 in the AI image generation race. The new model, called Muse Image, rolled out with deep integrations woven into the Instagram app. As part of this update, public Instagram profiles are now automatically opted into being fodder for generative AI remixes. All someone has to do is tag your account's profile in a prompt -- if it's public -- and they can use Meta AI to generate an image using your likeness. Meta positions this feature as a cheeky way to personalize generations with images of real people. "Whether you want to design a custom event invitation, mock up a collaborative creative concept, or generate a personalized graphic, tagging a username lets Meta AI use public photos to build a visual that's ready to post," reads one of Meta's announcement blogs about the new AI tool. If you want to avoid these AI generations of your Instagram posts, without switching your account to private, you'll have to dig into the app's settings. Open the Instagram app, tap your profile, and then tap the three lines in the top-right corner of the screen. Then, scroll down to the Sharing and reuse tab. Here is where you should see a section labeled Allow people to use your content on Instagram and with AI features on Meta, with a toggle for Posts and one for Reels. When I checked my personal account on Tuesday afternoon, the settings had not yet been updated to include this new language. Instagram's help center site includes more details about how this feature will impact users, saying that "people may be able to create content with your Instagram content using AI features at Meta" if you leave your account public and on the default settings. (A previously archived version of this page from 2025 does not include similar, AI-focused language.) While switching your account to private or adjusting your settings will prevent additional images from being generated, already existing AI images made with your content will not be deleted. It's also notable that Instagram users may be remixing your images using AI without your knowledge. "You will not be notified about content created using AI features at Meta," reads the company's help page. Of the numerous aspects of this rollout that make me uncomfortable, not even getting a notification when someone does this seems like the biggest red flag of all. Even though it's overwhelming just how often companies require you to opt out of AI training, rather than opting in -- just like how Google Search now stores media uploads, like from reverse image searches, to train its AI -- as the default option for consumers, this new toggle is worth switching off immediately if you want to avoid additional generations based on your Instagram photos and videos.

Meta Pulls Instagram AI Update After Everyone Said They Didn't Want to Be Deepfaked

After intense user backlash last week, Meta pulled the most troubling part of its newest AI update on Instagram. You will no longer be easily able to create deepfakes of other Instagram users. "We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available," Meta wrote on Friday in an update to its announcement blog post. Last week, in an attempt to prove that Meta's billion-dollar leap into generative AI had purpose, the company brought its newest AI image model to Instagram. It came with a new ability to "tag" any public Instagram accounts and include those people in photorealistic AI images -- essentially creating deepfakes. Meta offered two ways to opt out, but many were incensed that they were automatically defaulted to opting in. Actors union SAG-AFTRA, a fierce advocate for protecting artists' likenesses from AI companies, said in a statement: "With the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise. We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the responsible thing to do." As AI image and video models advance, it's nearly impossible for us to tell with our naked eyes whether something is real or created with AI. Invisible watermarks and more prominent labels for AI content are two ways tech companies are working to help us distinguish AI content, but in a sea of AI slop, it's still difficult. AI tools, like the image creation and editing one that's still available in Instagram, may only make the problem worse.

Meta's new Muse Image model can pull other Instagram users into AI photos

Meta is launching the first AI image generation model made by its Superintelligence Labs division. The Muse Image model now powers the image-making tools across the Meta AI app, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and it's coming soon to Facebook and Messenger, according to an announcement on Tuesday. It's part of the growing Muse family of AI models that replace Meta's Llama lineup. Alexandr Wang, who Meta hired to head up its Superintelligence Labs last year, says on Threads that Muse Image is "agentic," meaning it works with its Muse Spark large language model "to reason through your prompt, search the web, and plan before it generates." Meta is also planning to launch a Muse Video model, which Wang teased, saying it's "competitive on prompt adherence, visual fidelity, temporal consistency." As noted by Meta, users can @ mention other Instagram accounts in Muse Image prompts, allowing the AI model to incorporate their likeness into its output. Meta says "tagging a username lets Meta AI use public photos to build a visual," but notes that users can control how people reuse their content for AI. Users can also transform images using suggested prompts and create designs for things like invitations and postcards. Additionally, Muse Image can redesign rooms based on an image pulled from Facebook Marketplace (or elsewhere on the web), and allows users to make changes directly to photos by drawing right on top of them, which they can then share to their feed, story, or chat. The Muse Image model will power the 30 new AI effects coming to Instagram Stories in the US before rolling out to other countries and in more areas of Meta's apps soon.

Meta's New Image Model Lets People Tag Your Insta ID in Prompts: How to Opt Out

To stop Meta AI from using your Instagram content, you can either set your account to private or disable the reuse option for uploads. Meta has introduced a new image-generation model for its apps that lets users tag Instagram accounts and use their public images as references for AI prompts, among other things. The Muse Image model was developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs, and it "pairs with Muse Spark to reason through your prompt, search the web, and plan before it generates," says Meta's chief AI officer, Alexandr Wang. At launch, the Muse Image model is available for free through the Meta AI app, Instagram Stories, and the Meta AI chat window on WhatsApp. Get started with a conversational prompt or upload a photo and provide commands to modify it. Or use the Ideas button to get suggestions. To provide the AI with more specific instructions, you can use Markup tools to draw over a part of the image and enter a prompt. For example, you can scribble over a person's eyes and ask the AI to add sunglasses, or mark their head to add a hat. The model can also remove a person from the background or build a functional QR code, Meta says. Allow People to Reuse Your Content? More importantly, Muse Image lets users @mention Instagram accounts in the Meta AI app and use the account's public images as a reference for the prompt. For example, you could tag a person and ask Meta AI to add them to an image. Meta says this is in line with Instagram's content reuse policy, meaning if your account is private, Meta AI won't let others use your uploads to generate or edit images. Still, there are ways to stop Meta AI from scraping your content. Go to your Instagram profile, tap the Menu bar on the top right to enter Settings and activity, select Sharing and Reuse, and disable both options under Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta. Changes made using this option "only apply to future media," the support page warns. Meta's new Muse Image model is currently available to users in the US and comes with a usage cap. For extended use, you'll need to purchase one of Meta's subscription plans. Soon, the model will be made available in other markets as well as on Facebook and Messenger.

Meta admits its first 'superintelligence' was too stupid to survive for three days

Meta has withdrawn the first image generation product created by its Superintelligence Labs fewer than 72 hours after launch. The product was called "Muse Image" and Meta launched it on July 8, billing it as "the first AI image generation model from Meta Superintelligence Labs." That lab is Zuck's latest big bet and aims to create a "personal superintelligence that knows us deeply, understands our goals, and can help us achieve them." In the case of Muse AI, that help came in the form of applying one of 30 new filters that "uniquely understand Instagram videos and photos and can interpret your photo's scene -- the lighting, composition, and subject -- to make nuanced edits that feel natural and true to you." Instagram users could use those effects to "transform your photos with a single tap," the social networking company promised. Users could also apply the filters to content posted by third parties. "Meta is also launching the ability to @mention friends' public Instagram accounts in Meta AI and generate creative AI images featuring them, such as personalized birthday cards, group trip memes, or playful edits between friends. It's an upgrade to what people can create with AI features at Meta, making it more personal, fun, and social," the company said. Meta almost certainly leads the world in three things: The number of people signed up to its social networks; experience of people behaving horribly online, and; dealing with community backlashes after privacy abuses. Yet somehow it didn't imagine that enabling this feature by default might be controversial, or that allowing users to alter images with AI might be abused. Backlash was therefore swift and widespread. Actors' union SAG-AFTRA condemned the product. "Anything other than a clear and conspicuous OPT-IN for these types of uses of Instagram users' images is unacceptable, and an utter miscalculation of public sentiment regarding the obvious dangers and harms inherent in such use," it posted on Instagram. Within three days of release, Meta realized the error of its ways and pulled the product. "Earlier this week, we announced that one way for people to generate images in Meta AI is by @-mentioning public Instagram accounts that they want to reference," the company wrote. "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. We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available." Interestingly, Meta says several of the effects it offered were "designed by Instagram creators, who used Meta AI to amplify their creativity and bring their ideas to life." Zuck believes users of his social networks mostly want to see content made by creators - Meta-speak for prominent accounts who post a lot - rather than content produced by media outlets or others. Involving creators in Meta's own creative processes has now backfired. ®

Meta Has a New AI Image Tool, and I Already Used It to Deepfake My Friend's Instagram

Meta has a new AI model out, this time dedicated to generating and editing AI images. And yes, you can use it on Instagram. But if you have a public account, you need to change your settings now to avoid ending up the unwitting subject of anyone's AI creations. The model, called Muse Image, is the first creative model from the new family of Muse Spark models made by Meta's superintelligence labs. The company said in a blog post that it's built to handle more complex requests, create composite photos and edit existing images. It's available now on the Meta AI app, Instagram and WhatsApp, with plans to eventually bring it to Facebook, Messenger and advertisers. CEO Mark Zuckerberg showed off the new model on his Instagram on Tuesday. He showed some of the 30 new AI editing effects the model is powering for Instagram Stories, including images of numerous Zuckerberg clones, a 360 camera view with AI lead Alexandr Wang and an exposure portrait mode with Andrew Bosworth, Meta's chief technology officer. This isn't the first time an AI company has tried to entice people to use its creative AI by offering to place you and your friends into the AI scenery. That was OpenAI's pitch when it launched its ill-fated Sora video app in 2024. But OpenAI still drew ire from regular people and celebrities for its role in easily creating deepfakes. Meta's new AI model poses the same risk. Let's momentarily step aside from the fact that this new model will probably lead to even more AI slop on Instagram. And that the pictures you upload to the Meta AI app are used to improve Meta's services. There's an important detail in the settings everyone with a public Instagram account should know. If you're over 18 and have a public account, anyone with a Meta AI account can "tag" you in their AI image prompts and create hyperrealistic AI images including your likeness -- otherwise known as deepfakes. How to prevent yourself from being deepfaked I gave the new model a spin to see just how easy it could be to create deepfakes. My CNET colleague Abrar Al-Heeti has a public Instagram account, and I was able to make an AI image of her as a pirate in less than a minute by including her Instagram username in my prompt. When I tried the same for myself, tagging my private Instagram account, Meta AI couldn't complete the request. Meta confirmed to CNET that creators with a public Instagram account can block people from creating AI content with their likeness with a setting toggle. Go to Instagram Settings > Sharing and reuse > Toggle off "Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta." You can adjust this control for posts and reels. Private accounts automatically don't have their content accessible for anyone to remix or create with. (After our testing, Al-Heeti turned off this permission.) You can also limit your risk of being deepfaked when tagging yourself in an image request for the first time in the Meta AI app. It will walk you through some steps to help the app recognize you. That includes taking a picture of your face and, optionally, uploading three photos of yourself. In this process, you can choose who is allowed to use your likeness, including only yourself, followers you approve, mutuals or everyone. You can adjust this in the app by going to Settings > Your likeness. These controls will be essential for professional creators and influencers, whose names and likenesses are their brand and therefore their livelihood. Meta says its models have built-in protections to prevent the model from creating illegal, abusive or defamatory content. But like we saw with Sora, motivated bad actors can get around a model's safeguards. We will have to wait and see if Meta's are up to the challenge.

Meta's New AI Image Tool Lets Others Use Your Public Instagram Photos in AI Images

Meta has announced that its new artificial intelligence (AI) model Muse Image lets people use public Instagram posts and reels to generate AI content, and it's enabled by default. "You can also @-mention Instagram accounts in the Meta AI app to bring specific Instagram profiles right into your images," the social media giant said in a post. "Whether you want to design a custom event invitation, mock up a collaborative creative concept, or generate a personalized graphic, tagging a username lets Meta AI use public photos to build a visual that's ready to post" Muse Image is Meta's inaugural image-focused AI model from its Superintelligence Labs, which the company said uses advanced reasoning to better understand complex prompts and blend multiple photos into high-quality creations for sharing across its platforms and elsewhere. It's also being embedded into WhatsApp and Instagram to facilitate AI-powered effects for Instagram Stories and image generation in direct chats with Meta AI on WhatsApp. These features are rolling out in limited countries to start with. Users have the option to tag another public Instagram account on the Meta AI app to create new reels, posts, or stories that can reuse "part or all of your published photos, videos or reels," automatically turning public content into fodder for AI-generated images. "In addition, people may be able to create content with your Instagram content using AI features at Meta," the company notes in a help document. "Depending on the settings of the other user, this means your reused content may be discoverable in search engine results." In scenarios where a user has switched from a public to a private account, all reels, posts, and stories using their content will be deleted from Instagram if they have set their account to private for longer than 24 hours. That said, already existing content created by others using the AI features will not be deleted. For Instagram users under 18 with public accounts, only those who follow can reuse the media if their account settings allow for reuse. It's also notable that users will not be notified when their images are remixed using AI. Notifications will continue to be sent if a public account reuses a user's content for remixes, sequences, stickers, and templates. Meta, however, insisted that users have complete control over how their content can be tagged for AI creation, along with an option to turn it off. To do so: Instagram users with public profiles are recommended to turn off the setting, as the created prior to disabling it isn't deleted. The feature is expected to soon be available in Facebook, Messenger, and for advertisers through Meta Advantage+ creative. The development comes as tech companies are increasingly embedding AI into their products, making them opt-out rather than opt-in by default, as a way to improve AI services. In recent weeks, Google has also rolled out a new Search Services History option in its privacy settings that allows the company to store media, including images, files, and audio, and video recordings, to improve its AI models for signed-in users. "Your media may be used to improve your experience on Google services, like letting you revisit your past visual searches," it said in a support document. "Saved media may be used to develop and improve Google's AI models and technologies, as well as the Google services that use them. When media is saved, you can view it in your Search Services History." "Google also uses your history to provide, develop, and improve its services (such as training generative AI models) and to protect Google, its users, and the public with the help of human reviewers," Google continued. Separately, Google has also added a new "Personalized Recommendations" setting that, when enabled, uses an account's profile information, Search Services History, and other saved activity across Google sites and apps to serve tailored results in Search and AI responses, curated feeds in Google Search and News Apps, and relevant to their location.

Meta releases first image model since Mark Zuckerberg's AI overhaul

Meta has launched its first image-generation model since chief executive Mark Zuckerberg undertook a dramatic overhaul of the company's AI efforts, as it races to catch up with rivals including OpenAI and Google. The $1.6tn social media platform on Tuesday revealed Muse Spark Image, which it said used "advanced reasoning to understand complex prompts" and would be integrated into its own Meta AI chatbot. The model would be used to power new editing features on Meta's Instagram photo app and integrated into the suite of tools used by marketers to generate advertising for the platform, the company said. The launch comes three months after Meta launched its first Muse Spark model, which was multimodal -- meaning it can process various types of data -- but produced text-only outputs. Meta also said on Tuesday that it had a new video model in development called Muse Video. Over the past year, Zuckerberg has poured billions of dollars into developing AI infrastructure and poaching top AI talent in an effort to catch up with rivals Google, OpenAI and Anthropic. He tasked a new team of AI researchers in a secretive lab called "TBD" -- To Be Determined -- to focus on spearheading the development of state of the art models. It is led by Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang. The push came after its Llama 4 large language model, released in April 2025, lagged rivals. Meta also struggled to develop cutting-edge image and video models. It instead opted last year to strike a multiyear, multibillion-dollar deal paying the AI start-up Midjourney to use its image-generation technology. Meta will now wind down its use of Midjourney for certain image-generation capabilities, replacing it with Muse Spark Image, according to one person familiar with the matter. Midjourney will continue to power some of Meta's video generation features, but this would also be replaced by Muse Video over time, the person said. Zuckerberg has faced increasing pressure to justify the company's ballooning AI spending and recently slashed 10 per cent of its workforce, hurting staff morale. Meta shares jumped almost 9 per cent in a single session last week on the news that the company is exploring setting up a cloud-computing business in order to sell off any surplus computing power. The original Muse Spark is widely considered an improvement on Llama 4, but Zuckerberg and Wang acknowledged that it was still behind on coding and agentic capabilities that power AI bots to operate independently. Unlike Meta's previous Llama models, which have been "open" -- or freely available for developers to tweak -- Muse Spark is a smaller, closed model, making it harder to assess. Meta promised some businesses and developers would have access to the model via a private application programming interface, but this has been repeatedly delayed. Muse Spark Image beat leading models from Google and Elon Musk's SpaceXAI in benchmarks for text-to-image and editing, according to rankings on Arena. Arena compiles leader boards from votes by testers who have early access on the independent platform, who ranked Muse Spark Image below OpenAI's GPT Image 2 model, released in April. Additional reporting by Cristina Criddle in San Francisco

Meta deactivates feature that let you generate AI images of any public Instagram account - Engadget

The company said it heard feedback that the capability 'missed the mark.' Meta has deactivated a controversial Muse Image capability. When the company introduced the model, it also announced that on Instagram, anybody could tag a public account -- including yours, if it is public -- and automatically generate AI deepfakes based on its posts. The tagger and Muse Image didn't even have to ask for your permission. Meta wrote in its launch post that you could @-mention people to use the feature if "you want to design a custom event invitation, mock up a collaborative creative concept or generate a personalized graphic." In an update to its announcement for Muse Image, the company said it heard feedback that the capability "missed the mark" and has pulled it down. "Earlier this week, we announced that one way for people to generate images in Meta AI is by @-mentioning public Instagram accounts that they want to reference," the company wrote. "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. We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available." The tool was met with criticism online as soon as it was announced, especially since you had to opt out if you didn't want the image generator to be able to create AI deepfakes from the posts in your account. You had to go deep into your Settings menu and toggle off an option that said "Allow people to create with and reuse your content." It was either that or set your Instagram profile to private. According to Variety, it wasn't just ordinary users who vocally criticized it. Hollywood agency CAA, whose clients include Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, reportedly raised its concerns directly with Meta. "No one's name, image, likeness, voice or creative work should be used by any third party, including AI models, without clear, documented consent," the agency said in a statement. American labor union SAG-AFTRA also encouraged members to opt out. Do you have these organizations to thank for the feature's removal? Maybe, maybe not. But it's gone now, and hopefully Meta doesn't roll out any more AI capabilities that involve usage of your likeness without having to get your explicit permission.

Meta enters AI image model race in bid to court advertisers and subscribers

Meta on Tuesday released Muse Image, a new artificial intelligence model for creating images as the company seeks to attract creators and advertisers to its offerings. Originally codenamed Mango, the AI technology marks the second major release from Meta Superintelligence Labs led by Alexandr Wang, who oversaw the April unveiling of the Muse Spark large language model that succeeded the company's previous Llama family of models. Muse Image will be available for consumers to access for free via the Meta AI app and site, WhatsApp direct messages and Instagram Stories. Power users and creators must sign up for one of Meta's new monthly subscription plans that debuted in May to create many AI-generated images and access certain features. If users hit their free limit, they can purchase a Meta One subscription or wait until their limit resets, the company said. Muse Image will also power advertiser-specific, image-generation tools as part of Meta's AI-powered Advantage Plus service that lets brands more easily develop ad creative for their marketing campaigns and automate certain tasks. Meta said it's been working with businesses and advertisers as part of debuting Muse Image. "Muse Image brings native reasoning to the creative process to adjust elements, swap styles, and create variations based on the advertiser's creative, resulting in high-quality, on-brand ad variations with fewer iterations," the company said in a blog post for businesses. "In the coming weeks, advertisers and agencies can expect to see image variants powered by Muse Image."

Outcry as Meta lets users make AI images from public Instagram profile pics

Meta is facing a backlash over its new AI tool Muse Image, which can generate pictures using other people's profile pictures without telling them. It is one of many text-to-image tools publicly available, which as the name suggests can create pictures from a few lines of simple written text. Muse Image is available through the Meta AI app and web browser, as well as on WhatsApp and in Instagram Stories for US users. While Meta says users can opt out of their image being used even with a public account, Donald Campbell, advocacy director at tech justice non-profit Foxglove told the BBC it was an "obvious recipe for disaster". "We've already seen a catalogue of harms from non-consensual AI-altered images on social platforms just in the past year," he said. "It is hard to see why Mark Zuckerberg thinks facilitating yet more of this creepy image manipulation is a good idea." The feature is likely to face heightened scrutiny as regulators and campaigners raise concerns about AI-generated images, with Ofcom currently investigating X over Grok's role in creating and sharing non-consensual AI-altered images of real people. Privacy International also criticised the feature, telling the BBC it was "the latest sign AI companies see people's images and data as raw material to be exploited". "Pulling real users into generated photos without explicit consent is a privacy landmine waiting to detonate," one user wrote on X. Meta said a dedicated setting, separate from account privacy controls, allows users to opt out even if they have a public account. To do so, users must go to Instagram's settings menu, select "Sharing and Reuse" and switch off "Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta" for posts and reels. There are many tools on the market now which can make images with AI from text, so Meta is already entering a crowded market. But its use of Instagram is new - and powerful. To try it out, I asked Muse AI to make it look like I was driving a car and it happily did so, with interesting results. In a blog post covering the new announcement, Meta said the tool uses "advanced reasoning to understand complex prompts, seamlessly blending multiple photos into high-quality creations you can download and share anywhere". The company said users can also choose from presets and suggested prompts to "spark ideas", as well as sketch edits directly onto images. While the tool is free for "everyday creation", Meta said heavier users can access additional usage through one of its subscription plans. The company added Muse Image will soon be available on Facebook and Messenger, and through another tool where it can be used by advertisers. A video-generation version is reportedly in development. Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.

Meta Unveils an A.I. Image Generator

Muse Image, which can create realistic images for users on Instagram and WhatsApp, is the company's latest attempt to catch up in the global artificial intelligence race. Meta on Tuesday released an artificial intelligence tool that can generate images, the company's latest push to integrate the technology into more aspects of its social media business and catch up with rivals in a global A.I. race. The new A.I. image model, Muse Image, is available on Instagram and WhatsApp, the company said. Users can generate A.I. photos similar to those they would normally post, including vacation selfies from a beach or a reel from a photo booth. "Muse Image acts as the creative partner that knows your world, making it easy to turn your ideas into high-quality visuals," the company said in a blog post. It added, "One tap restores an old family photo, lets you see yourself with trending hairstyles, or reimagines you as a claymation character." The company also previewed an A.I. video generator, Muse Video. It will become available to the public in the coming months in the Meta AI app, the stand-alone platform for Meta's A.I. chatbot. Muse Image is the first A.I. image generator created under the company's new A.I. division, Meta Superintelligence Labs. After Meta fell behind in the A.I. race last spring, Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive, spent billions of dollars revamping the division in an attempt to compete with Google, Anthropic, OpenAI and others. In the last year, Meta has slowly narrowed the gap. But Muse Spark, its top chatbot model, released in April, still lags rivals. Meta's release of new A.I. image and video tools follows the rest of the industry's shift to tools that can write code. OpenAI shut down Sora, which made A.I. videos, in March as the company said it would focus its resources elsewhere. Meta, which owns Facebook and Threads in addition to Instagram and WhatsApp, plans to invest up to $145 billion in A.I. this year as part of its efforts to transform itself into an A.I. company. Meta is also increasingly relying on A.I. to moderate content on its social media platforms, as well as to offer customer service. The company is also asking employees to use A.I. tools to speed up their work as it lays off thousands to help offset spending on the technology. Meta's embrace of A.I. has not always been smooth. Last month, a bug in the company's A.I. customer service software let hackers attack more than 34,000 Instagram accounts. Internal A.I. tracking software has also hurt morale among Meta's rank-and-file employees. Muse Image will replace technology from Midjourney, an A.I. start-up that Meta previously worked with to generate A.I. images, in the Meta AI app. Users can tag friends in the app to create "personalized birthday cards, group trip memes or playful edits" based on their friends' Instagram accounts, the company said. In the coming weeks, advertisers will be able to use the new A.I. model to make ads. Alexandr Wang, Meta's chief A.I. officer, has said publicly that his A.I. division is planning to release a new cutting-edge model, called Watermelon internally, in the coming months. Watermelon is on track to perform as well as OpenAI's latest model, Mr. Wang said at a staff meeting last week.

Meta just killed Instagram's controversial AI feature after user backlash

Meta says it listened to feedback and removed the feature just days after announcing it alongside Muse Image. Meta has done a quick U-turn on one of Instagram's newest AI features. Just days after unveiling Muse Image, its first dedicated image-generation model, the company quietly backed away from a feature that would have let people generate AI images using public Instagram profiles as references. For many creators, an Instagram profile is more than just a collection of photos -- it's their portfolio, personal brand, and often their livelihood. The idea that AI could use those posts as creative reference material was always going to raise eyebrows. As first spotted by The Verge, Meta has now confirmed it's pulling the feature altogether. In an update to the same blog post that introduced Muse Image, the company said it had heard the criticism and decided the feature "missed the mark." As a result, it has been removed. The original plan wasn't entirely without safeguards. Meta said creators would have been notified whenever someone used their public profile as a reference for AI-generated images, giving them visibility into how the feature was being used. But for many people, a notification after the fact wasn't really the point. If you don't want AI using your photos as creative material in the first place, knowing about it later doesn't solve much. It's hard to blame the backlash. Public accounts may be visible to everyone, but that doesn't necessarily mean users are comfortable with their posts being used in someone else's AI workflow. Many photographers, artists, and influencers spend years developing a distinctive visual identity, and it's understandable that they'd want to keep that separate from generative AI tools. To Meta's credit, it didn't take long to respond. Rather than trying to tweak the feature or defend it, the company chose to remove it entirely. That's a rare move in the AI space, where controversial features often stick around despite user complaints. It's also a reminder that AI features aren't just judged by what they can do, but by whether people actually want them. In this case, Instagram users made their feelings clear, and Meta listened.

The Public Got So Mad at Meta's New AI Photo Tool That It's Scrapped Already

I don't know what the world record is for killing bad AI features quickly, but this has to be a competitor. On Tuesday, July 7, Meta released an AI photo generation feature that pulled face data from any public Instagram account by default. It made it to Friday -- a little over three days in operation by my count. The model tied to the feature, Muse Image, is still available. Muse Image is the first Image Generator released by Meta's Superintelligence Labs, and the blog post announcing it calls it, "the creative partner that knows your world, making it easy to turn your ideas into high-quality visuals that you can download and share anywhere, including directly to your feed, story, or chat." However, the blog post now has an update, added Friday: "Earlier this week, we announced that one way for people to generate images in Meta AI is by @-mentioning public Instagram accounts that they want to reference. 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. We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available." The showbiz performers' union, SAG-AFTRA, captured the popular mood pretty well with its Friday statement on this feature: "Anything other than a clear and conspicuous OPT-IN for these types of uses of Instagram users' images is unacceptable, and an utter miscalculation of public sentiment regarding the obvious dangers and harms inherent in such use," the blunt statement reads. According to Reuters, after the feature was pulled, a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson said, "With the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well ⁠known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise. We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the responsible thing to do." As I've written before, a pattern emerged in releases of AI products after ChatGPT -- perhaps you could call it "The Ghibli Meme Effect" -- in which models would arrive on the scene and make a splash by offending copyright holders or privacy activists, and that backlash would sometimes be followed by a retreat after sufficient ink had been spilled denouncing the product. But the downfall of OpenAI's ill-fated video generator Sora, and the large number of frankly nauseating episodes tied to SpaceXAI's Grok image generator seems to have interrupted that pattern somewhat. Over the past six months or so, these companies have transitioned from pitching video and image generation at top volume to highlighting supposed breakthroughs in work productivity. In that sense, this release from Meta seems like it was either a throwback, or, as SAG-AFTRA suggested, a genuine miscalculation.

Meta pulls Muse Image AI after Hollywood privacy backlash

Meta pulled its Muse Image AI feature from Instagram three days after launch following backlash from SAG-AFTRA, talent agency CAA, and actors including Hannah Einbinder. The tool, the first from Meta Superintelligence Labs, let anyone generate images from public Instagram accounts with no opt-in required. Meta has pulled its Muse Image AI feature from Instagram and the Meta AI app just three days after launch, saying the tool "missed the mark" on user privacy. The model, the first image generator to emerge from Meta Superintelligence Labs under chief AI officer Alexandr Wang, launched on Tuesday with a design flaw that proved fatal: public Instagram accounts were opted in by default. "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," Meta said in a statement Friday. "We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available." What Muse Image did The feature, embedded in the Meta AI chatbot across Instagram and WhatsApp, allowed users to tag any public Instagram profile in a prompt and generate AI images using that person's publicly shared photos as a reference. Private accounts and users under 18 were automatically excluded, but everyone else had to actively opt out in settings. That architecture drew an immediate comparison to Meta's broader pattern of treating user data as opt-out rather than opt-in. For actors, musicians, and creators whose professional value is tied to their image and likeness, the default was commercially threatening. Hollywood's response SAG-AFTRA, the union representing more than 160,000 film and television workers, urged members and all Instagram users to opt out on Thursday. "Anything other than a clear and conspicuous opt-in for these types of uses of Instagram users' images is unacceptable, and an utter miscalculation of public sentiment regarding the obvious dangers and harms inherent in such use," it said. Talent agency CAA issued a similar statement, saying no one's "name, image, likeness, voice, or creative work should be used by any third party, including AI models, without clear, documented consent." Its client list includes Tom Cruise, Charlize Theron, and Zoe Saldaña. Emmy-winning actor Hannah Einbinder, known for the HBO series Hacks, posted on Instagram that the feature had been switched on automatically and urged her followers to disable it. Mark Zuckerberg pushed back publicly, saying safety measures were already built into the tool, before Meta reversed course less than 24 hours later. A pattern Meta has struggled to break The episode fits a recurring dynamic for Meta: launching AI features that treat user data as freely available by default, then retreating when the backlash arrives. The EU found Meta's "pay or consent" ad model to be in breach of the Digital Markets Act; state attorneys general are seeking up to $1.4 trillion in damages over youth safety at a trial set for August. SAG-AFTRA welcomed the removal. "With the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise," a spokesperson said, adding that discontinuing it "is the responsible thing to do." Muse Image was part of a broader launch that also included Muse Video, a separate tool that Meta Superintelligence Labs built for video generation. Meta said that feature remains available.

Meta now lets anyone use your public Instagram photos to create AI images

This week, Meta announced the launch of a new artificial intelligence image generator that allows anyone to create AI images based on your Instagram photos. And if you have a public Instagram account, Meta automatically opted you in -- which means your photos could be manipulated into AI images by anyone. The new tool was widely derided by many social media users as a privacy infringement. SAG-AFTRA, the labor union that represents actors, issued a statement urging its members and all Instagram users to "Take action to protect your likeness." Instagram users do have the ability to opt out. To protect your photos from being included in the generator, you can either switch your Instagram account to private or choose not to be included in the generator. Here's our four-step guide to opting out of the AI generator: * Open the Instagram app and tap on your profile. * Tap the three lines on the top-right corner to open the "Settings and activity" menu. * Scroll down to find the "Sharing and reuse" tab.

Meta's new Muse Image model accepts Instagram accounts as a prompt - Engadget

The new AI model is also powering effects in Stories and image generation in WhatsApp. After launching Muse Spark and kicking off its new family of AI models in April 2026, Meta is ready to tackle image generation. Muse Image is the first AI image model created by Meta Superintelligence Labs, and the company says it's now available in the US through the Meta AI app, Instagram and WhatsApp. Muse Image uses an "advanced reasoning to understand complex prompts, seamlessly blending multiple photos into high-quality creations," according to Meta. The model can generate images in a wide variety of formats and styles, and understands conversational prompts to make asking for changes simple. Meta also claims Muse Image can be prompted to generate a functional QR code and that text it produces in images "comes out legible and styled to match." The new model will power a variety of features across Meta's apps, but in Meta AI, it's primarily focused on image generation and editing. You can use a series of presets as a jumping off point for editing or generating an image, or the "Ideas" tab in the app's image editor to prompt further tweaks. Meta will even let you draw and write on a photo to indicate what you want Muse Image to change. Like Google, Meta is connecting its new AI model to its other services. Taking a picture of your room and asking Meta AI to redecorate can pull furniture from listings from the web and Facebook Marketplace. Tagging a friend's Instagram account, meanwhile, can incorporate their likeness in a generated image. The same controls you have in place for how your photos are reused on Instagram apply, but Meta seems interested in capturing some of the viral interest OpenAI drummed up when it let users create videos of friends with its now defunct Sora app. Outside of the Meta AI app, Muse Image is powering over 30 new effects for Instagram Stories, including one that edits your photo to look like you took it with a disposable camera and another simply called "Puffer." A new interface in Instagram's image editor will let you preview these effects before you apply them, and Meta says you can also prompt an entirely new edit if you're not happy with its built-in effects. All the new image editing and generating abilities unlocked by Muse Image also carry over to chats with Meta AI in WhatsApp. Using Muse Image is free for "everyday creation," according to Meta, with the option to generate even more images with a paid Meta One subscription. When asked for more information, Meta said limits could vary depending on variables like which services users are accessing Muse Image from or their current location. Once you've reached your limit, Meta says it'll prompt you to subscribe to Meta One before your allotment of free images resets. Muse Image is available in the Meta AI app, Instagram and WhatsApp in the US to start, with more countries and Meta products to come. Meta also says a Muse Video model is in active development.

Meta AI app adds image generation, also powering WhatsApp and Instagram features

Earlier this year, Meta replaced its Llama AI models with Muse Spark, part of its newly built Meta Superintelligence Labs effort. Today Meta is releasing its first image generation tool from Superintelligence Labs as part of the Meta AI app. The company says its new image-gen tools also power creative experiences in Instagram and WhatsApp with more to come. Muse Image arrives in the Meta AI app Like similar systems, Muse Image lets you generate images with a descriptive text prompt. Muse Image uses Muse Spark AI reasoning to interpret the prompt, search the web for context, and plan the image creation process before generating results. Today, Meta is rolling out Muse Image, the company's first image generation model from MetaSuperintelligence Labs, now available in Meta AI. Muse Spark made Meta AI a smarter assistant; now, Muse Image acts as the creative partner that knows your world, making it easy to turn your ideas into high-quality visuals that you can download and share anywhere, including directly to your feed, story, or chat. As a Meta product, Muse Image can also work with photos that you upload, friend profiles that you tag, or trending information on Meta properties like Facebook. Meta also says Muse Image is already powering new creative experiences on Instagram and WhatsApp, and more features are coming to Facebook and elsewhere. The model also powers new creative tools across Meta's apps. You can use more than 30 new AI-powered effects for Instagram Stories and generate images in your direct chats with MetaAI on WhatsApp -- starting in limited countries with more locations on the way. [...] Soon, Meta will bring Muse Image to more countries and the places where people use Meta AI,including Facebook and Messenger, and additional surfaces on Instagram and WhatsApp. Inthe coming weeks, advertisers and agencies will be able to tap into Muse Image throughAdvantage+ creative. Additionally, Meta says that Muse Video is already in development, giving us a clue about where Meta AI is headed next after Muse Spark and Muse Image. You can read the full announcement from Meta here for all the details. You can download the Meta AI app for free on the App Store.

Meta Pulls AI Image Feature From Instagram Days After Launch

Remember that new feature Meta announced last week that lets people use public Instagram posts and reels to generate AI content? It didn't last long. Meta pulled the feature from Instagram late on Friday, following widespread criticism over privacy concerns. "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," Meta said in a statement. "We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so ⁠it's no longer available," the company added.

Instagram is using your iPhone images to make AI slop. Here's how to stop it

The opt-out process requires using the Instagram app rather than web browsers to access specific sharing and remix controls. Detailed instructions are provided below. Instagram recently unveiled 30 new AI effects, based on the new Muse Image developed by Instagram's parent company. Instagram also launched a feature allowing users to tag their friends using their @usernames and generate AI-generated images from their content. While the new features are presented innocuously, a support article from Instagram's Help Center clarifies who can use your images for AI generation: If you have a public account, other Instagram users may be able to create new reels, posts or stories that reuse part or all of your published photos, videos or reels in features like remix, sequence, templates and stickers. In addition, people may be able to create content with your Instagram content using AI features at Meta. In other words, anyone with an Instagram account-individuals, groups, companies, etc.-can use your posted content and "create content...using AI features." Meta uses the default setting that all public profiles consent to and automatically grant permission to allow their content to be used. How to protect your Instagram content from unauthorized AI use If you prefer to not allow others to take your Instagram content and use AI to modify it for their own purposes, you can do something about it. Instagram allows you to opt out through the Instagram privacy settings. Here's how to adjust the settings. You must use the Instagram app on the iPhone. You cannot modify the settings on the web. There are several other settings in this section you should review. Some you may feel comfortable leaving on; others you may want to switch off. For example, at the very bottom of the screen, there is a setting to Allow businesses to interact with you. In Meta's press release, the new Muse Image is presented as a celebration of human creativity. Furthermore, Meta describes only one scenario, in which friends tag you and then reuse the content with Meta AI. The support document offers a different, significantly broader interpretation of content reuse: Anyone on Instagram can use your photos and Reels to make AI without needing to tag or credit your account on Instagram. The Share and Reuse option has existed on Instagram for several years. Meta is exploiting an existing function and users' consent to implement a new feature. It will be interesting to see how the courts in Europe and the U.S. interpret Meta's creative take on its users' consent forms.

Meta's new AI tool uses your Instagram photos by default -- here's how to opt out

Meta just launched "Muse Image", a new generative AI model built by Meta Superintelligence Labs, with a troubling default setting: adult public Instagram profiles are automatically opted in to have their photos used in AI-generated images. Anyone can tag your username with an @-mention in a prompt, and Meta AI will remix your public photos into whatever image they're creating. You won't be notified when this happens. The generated images won't be deleted even if you change your settings later. While Meta has blocked the tool from automatically targeting users under 18 or those with private profiles, every adult with a public account has been drafted by default. Here's how to protect your account. Why this is problematic Meta's approach flips the standard permission model on its head. Instead of asking permission to use your content for AI training and generation, it's made it opt-out by default. Your content is being used unless you actively say no, meaning s anyone scrolling Instagram can turn your photos into whatever image they imagine without your knowledge or consent. The lack of notification is particularly concerning. You have no way of knowing your content has been used, no opportunity to object before generation happens, and no recourse if you don't like how your likeness appears in AI images. So it's worth taking minutes to disable this, and I wouldn't wait to do so. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow Tom's Guide Entertainment on TikTok and Instagram.

Got a public Instagram account? Meta will let anyone use your photos for AI content

Users can opt out of sharing content with Meta AI using dedicated toggles from the settings page. Millions use Instagram every day to watch their favorite creators on loop or share images and videos with their followers. Meta AI has been involved with Instagram in some form since at least late 2023. The company has now reached a major milestone in its AI journey with the announcement of its first image-generation model, Muse Image. This is ostensibly Meta's answer to OpenAI and Google's highly capable image generation models. However, the social media juggernaut has also used this announcement to update Instagram's policies, which now allow the creation of AI-generated content from public Instagram profiles (via Wired). This is confirmed by the presence of two new toggles in the Instagram app, located under "Sharing and reuse" in the app's settings. Here, you will now see a section titled "Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta," with dedicated toggles for Posts (which includes the profile photo) and Reels. These toggles are enabled by default, so it's recommended to disable them if you don't want someone to randomly use your posts to create something with Meta AI. What's even more concerning is how easy Instagram makes it to use others' posts. All one needs to do is mention someone with their @, and Instagram will borrow their photos for the AI "creations," but only if they haven't disabled the newly added settings toggles and have a public profile. It's also worth noting that AI images already created from your posts will not be removed, even if you turn off the toggles and set your account to private. Accounts that have always remained private have little to worry about in this scenario. Meanwhile, the app's support page notes that "you will not be notified about content created using AI features at Meta," which is an odd limitation imposed by Instagram. Away from these policy updates, Meta announced its SynthID-type watermarking system for AI imagery, known as Content Seal. There's an online tool (in preview) to detect Meta AI's watermarks in images. The company also previewed Muse Video, its video generation tool, which is "coming soon to creators and Meta AI."

If You Have a Public Instagram Account, You Might Be Surprised What AI Users Can Now Do With Your Face

In a blog post on Tuesday, Meta announced the release of an AI image generator called Muse Image, along with an as-yet unreleased video generator called Muse Video. Elon Musk's X rolled out something very much like this image generator, which features social media integration, about two years ago, and OpenAI released its video generator via the Sora social media app in September of last year. So I guess from a certain standpoint, a social media slop generator from Meta is long overdue. Then again, OpenAI announced it was killing Sora this past March, before pivoting its company's entire focus. Meanwhile X's integration of Grok images hasn't gone all that well either. In case you blocked out this memory, during this past holiday season it became a meme on X to ask Grok to generate sexualized images of people, including minors. You might assume Meta would not want this to be in any way reminiscent of those past AI social media products, but you would be wrong. Muse Image pulls information from your Instagram. If you're in a browser, the cleanest way to see it in action is to go to the Meta AI web app at meta.ai, log in using your Instagram account, and ask the chatbot interface to generate a picture of yourself. My Instagram account is private, but apparently since I was prompting it about my own account -- the one I was logged in as -- it was able to dig around in my photos anyway. However, the visible chain-of-reasoning display in the app said there wasn't enough information in my photo feed about my appearance for Muse Image to draw on, so instead it generated an image of a random guy and explained that it would pretend that was me, and I could alter it later. That was a silly alternative to just saying it couldn't fulfill my prompt, but it didn't bother me. Somewhat more worryingly, however, you can also prompt the chatbot to generate an image using details pulled from someone else's Instagram account. Unsurprisingly, I was allowed to do this with prompts about Mark Zuckerberg. Even more worryingly, this works with random people as well. I was able to generate (completely anodyne) images of someone I'm friends with on Instagram. In another test, I was able to generate an image of a real-world friend I've never followed or interacted with on Instagram -- essentially a digital stranger -- without asking this person's permission. As noted by Wired, allowing others to access your likeness in this way is currently the default setting in Instagram if you have a public account. Instagram has updated the relevant help page to disclose this, alongside a related disclosure that's worth reading. That section now says (emphasis mine): "If you have a public account, other Instagram users may be able to create new reels, posts or stories that reuse part or all of your published photos, videos or reels in features like remix, sequence, templates and stickers. In addition, people may be able to create content with your Instagram content using AI features at Meta. Depending on the settings of the other user, this means your reused content may be discoverable in search engine results." In my tests, the quickest way for an Instagram user to shut this down was to set their account to private using a browser. If you have the Instagram smartphone app, you can opt-out (per Wired) by going to your profile, tapping the hamburger button at the top-right corner, and finding the tab for "Sharing and reuse." There'll be an option to "Allow people to use your content on Instagram and with AI features on Meta," and you can toggle "Posts" and "Reels" to the off setting. According to Meta's blog post this functionality is now built into Instagram Stories for U.S. users, and in some territories, to WhatsApp. Facebook will apparently get it soon. Meanwhile, Muse Video is coming soon to Meta AI, the blog post says. Presumably that will generate videos as easily as it can currently generate photos. Gizmodo reached out to Meta for comment. We will update this article if we hear back.

Meta debuts Muse Image, its first AI image model built under Alexandr Wang's lab

Meta launched Muse Image across Meta AI, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Users can generate images of friends from public posts. Advertisers get access soon. Opt-out available. Meta launched Muse Image on Tuesday, its first image-generation AI model built under the Superintelligence Labs division led by Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang. The model is rolling out inside the Meta AI chatbot and will be embedded across Instagram and WhatsApp. Users can generate images from text prompts or alter existing pictures. The most notable feature lets users create images featuring friends or creators based on their publicly available Instagram posts. Those who do not want their content reused or remixed by AI can opt out in the settings menu. All images made with Muse Image will include an invisible watermark, and the system has safety precautions to prevent violations of Meta's terms of service, including CSAM. Advertisers will soon have access to the model for creating marketing materials. Meta's Superintelligence Labs debuted its first large language model, Muse Spark, in April, and is also building a video generation model expected in the coming months. The image model is the second major product from the lab that Wang was hired to lead a year ago, after Meta invested billions and hired several researchers with compensation packages exceeding $200 million. Meta plans to sell access to its AI models to outside developers via a cloud offering, allowing the company to monetise its data centre infrastructure and expensive AI chips. That cloud business is part of a broader effort Bloomberg reported last week, which could include selling raw computing power. Despite those plans, Meta is still hungry for more compute, recently signing deals with CoreWeave, Google, and Oracle. The company cut 8,000 jobs in May and redirected billions toward AI infrastructure as it races to compete with OpenAI and Anthropic across every AI modality.

Meta withdraws its controversial AI image feature

Meta's Must Image tool, which launched last Tuesday, is now being shuttered by the company, according to Reuters. The social media giant released a statement on Friday announcing it would discontinue the feature: "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. We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so ⁠it's no longer available." Meta launched Muse Image as part of a suite of new AI tools. Designed for Instagram and WhatsApp users, it lets them touch up, alter, or add 3D effects to new photos. Muse Image took things a step further, allowing users to use photos from public-facing Instagram accounts as reference material for generative AI. Worse still, they enabled the feature by default, so if you didn't want your personal photos being used as AI fodder, you had to either make your account private or locate the specific setting that would toggle the feature off. Unsurprisingly, the backlash came hard and fast. But it was actors and other famous people with massive followings and public accounts who led the charge. Hacks star Hannah Einbinder took to her Instagram stories to urge her followers not to use the feature, prompting the Screen Actors Guild to take action as well, urging its members to "protect your likeness" by deactivating it. To its credit, though, this time around Meta listened. There's no shortage of controversy regarding generative AI and copyright issues, whether we're talking about companies asking child actors to sign away their voice rights or major record labels suing music generators over creative use, but leave it to Meta to carelessly trip every wire and provoke a backlash so severe that they were immediately forced to back down. Expect more heated battles over image rights, privacy, and generative AI as these tools only become more powerful and more ubiquitous, but in the meantime, let's all be glad that Meta was receptive to the negative feedback.

Meta Removes AI Image Generation Feature That Used Public Instagram Posts Following User Backlash

Meta has removed a controversial AI feature after criticism over its default settings, which automatically opted public Instagram accounts into allowing their posts to be used as references for AI-generated images. Users were required to manually disable the feature if they did not want their public photos used in this way. Earlier this week, Meta expanded the capabilities of its Meta AI image generation tools by allowing users to create new AI-generated images based on public Instagram posts. Users could invoke the feature by mentioning a public Instagram account when generating an image, enabling Meta AI to use that account's publicly shared photos as visual inspiration. The feature immediately sparked concern because it was enabled by default for public Instagram accounts. Users who did not want their content used in this way were required to proactively opt out through their account settings. Critics argued that many Instagram users were unaware the feature existed or that their publicly shared images could be referenced by Meta AI without their explicit permission. Creators also raised concerns that the system made it easier for others to imitate the look and style of their work. The criticism extended beyond photographers and artists. Organizations including SAG-AFTRA also voiced concerns about the feature, urging members to disable the setting that allowed their public Instagram content to be referenced for AI image generation. The union, which has been a leading advocate for stronger protections around AI and digital likeness rights, argued that creators should not have to opt out of having their images used and instead called for consent-first approaches to AI tools. Meta Reverses Course Following the backlash, Meta confirmed it has removed the feature. According to a statement shared by Dylan Byers, Founding Partner and Senior Correspondent at Puck, Meta said: "Earlier this week, we announced that one way for people to generate images in Meta AI is by @-mentioning public Instagram accounts that they want to reference. Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public content could be used in this experience. We've heard feedback that people found this confusing, so we've removed this feature while we take time to listen to feedback and evaluate the approach." The company did not indicate whether it plans to reintroduce the feature in a different form or if additional user controls will be added in the future. Another Flashpoint in the AI Copyright Debate The short-lived feature highlights the ongoing tension between AI companies seeking new ways to generate images and creators concerned about how their work is used. While Meta emphasized that the feature only referenced publicly available Instagram posts and included an opt-out mechanism, many users argued that requiring creators to disable the feature themselves placed too much burden on those whose work was being used. The backlash comes as AI image generation continues to raise broader questions surrounding consent, copyright, attribution, and how publicly shared creative work should be treated when used to train or guide artificial intelligence systems. Meta has not announced whether it intends to replace the feature with an alternative system or timeline for any future rollout.

Meta ditches Muse Image AI feature because it 'misses the mark' on users' privacy

Meta was criticised for feature launched on Tuesday that automatically lets users generate images using content from public Instagram accounts Meta has said ⁠it is discontinuing an AI feature launched this week that allowed users to generate images using public Instagram ⁠accounts, after drawing widespread ⁠criticism over privacy concerns, including from a Hollywood union. "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," Meta said in a statement. "We've heard the feedback that ⁠this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available," it said. Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, had launched Muse Image on Tuesday, its first image-generation model from Meta Superintelligence Labs. The feature, integrated into its Meta AI chatbot, can use photos as input and lets users edit generated images directly through sketches. The feature soon faced backlash over privacy concerns and being an automatic opt-in for users. Emmy-winning actor Hannah Einbinder, known for Hacks, criticised the feature on Instagram, saying it had been turned on automatically and urging users to turn it off. SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors and other media professionals, also urged members and other Instagram users on Thursday to opt out of the feature. "Anything other than a clear and conspicuous opt-in for these types of uses of Instagram users' images is unacceptable, and an utter miscalculation of public sentiment regarding the obvious dangers and harms inherent in such use," SAG-AFTRA ⁠said. Following Meta's decision to remove the feature, SAG-AFTRA welcomed the move. "With the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise. We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the responsible thing to do," a union spokesperson said. The reversal reflects increasing pressure on technology companies to give users clear control over how their publicly shared content is used by AI features.

Meta's AI catch-up effort gets a new look

Why it matters: The model is the latest test of Meta's effort to close the gap with cutting-edge AI rivals, even as those companies continue to push forward. Driving the news: Muse Image will take over image generation duties for Meta AI and some experiences within WhatsApp and Instagram, where it will power more than 30 new AI effects. * The company says that it will soon be available on Facebook and Messenger and that advertisers will also soon be able to tap Muse Image as part of Meta's Advantage+ tool. * Meta says Muse Image is free for "everyday creation," with more usage available as part of the company's recently added subscription option. * Meta also previewed Muse Video, a movie-generating model coming soon to Meta AI. Zoom in: Meta is leaning heavily into the social possibilities of image generation. * With the new Muse Image-powered Meta AI, users can tag public Instagram accounts and incorporate photos from those profiles into generated images. * Instagram users can opt out of being tagged or having their images used, but the feature is enabled by default. Zoom out: Meta says Muse Image performs strongly across several benchmarks, generally surpassing Google's Nano Banana 2 and trailing only ChatGPT's image generator. Yes, but: Meta is still evaluating whether it will make Muse Image available to outside developers. * Developers, meanwhile, still don't have access to Muse Spark, the language model Meta introduced in April. The company says that API access to Spark is coming soon. * Meta also plans to release an open model based on Spark, but has yet to do so. * The company says it is on track to release a significantly more powerful model than Spark that uses vastly more compute power. Between the lines: The image-model release comes amid reports of frustration inside Meta over both the pace of its AI progress and the methods it has used to accelerate development. * Meta reassigned thousands of engineers to data labeling and other AI-related work, hurting morale in a move that executives have since acknowledged was poorly handled. * The company also began using employees' work activity to collect AI training data, but paused the program after a privacy failure left potentially sensitive information broadly accessible inside Meta. What we're watching: Whether Meta can deliver a significant leap beyond Muse Spark later this year.

Meta pulls Muse Image AI photo feature from Instagram

Meta $META removed a feature from its Muse Image AI tool on Instagram last Friday after users and Hollywood industry groups objected to the way it handled consent, the company said. Rolled out Tuesday alongside a broader suite of AI tools, the feature worked by allowing users to reference public Instagram accounts in their prompts, pulling photos from those accounts into newly generated images. Rather than requiring users to actively agree to participate, the feature enrolled all public accounts automatically -- leaving account holders unaware that their photos and likenesses were potentially being used. "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," Meta said in a statement. "We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available." Creative Artists Agency contacted Meta on behalf of its clients, calling the feature irresponsible, according to the New York Times. "Artists deserve to decide if and how their likeness and work is used, with consent and the ability to set their own terms," the agency said in a statement. The actors union SAG-AFTRA had issued a statement Thursday condemning the opt-in setup as "an utter miscalculation of public sentiment" around AI use, and greeted the removal by declaring it a "win." London-based human rights charity Privacy International told the BBC the episode was "the latest sign AI companies see people's images and data as raw material to be exploited." Access to Muse Image through WhatsApp and the Meta AI app was not affected by the pullback. The New York Times reported that Instagram-specific features announced in the same rollout, such as Muse Image-generated filters, continue to function on the platform. Meta introduced Muse Image on Tuesday as the company's first in-house image generation model, developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs and made available to consumers through the Meta AI app and to advertisers through its Advantage+ ad platform. The model had been handled previously by outside vendors including Midjourney and Black Forest Labs. Among its features at launch was the ability to tag public Instagram accounts to pull their photos into generated images -- a capability that, according to prior coverage, was on by default with an opt-out option available to users. Meta also launched a public developer API for its Muse Spark 1.1 model last Thursday, the first time the company has charged businesses for access to one of its AI models. The company said a video generation model, Muse Video, is in development, though no release date has been given.

Instagram is letting people generate AI images of you. Here's how to stop it.

You post a selfie, a stranger types a sentence, and suddenly there's an "AI you" doing who knows what. One toggle makes it stop. Instagram recently released its Muse AI, the company's very own image and video generation service. On the surface, it looks like a good tool to help creators bring their imagination to life. But under the hood, it hides a scary detail that all Instagram users should be aware of. Even if you don't care about the rise in AI slop this will enable, you should care that someone might be using your images and videos to do it. Yes, you read it right. Using Muse AI, anyone can use your Instagram photos and videos to create AI-generated content. Recommended Videos The truly devious part about this feature is that Meta didn't tell you about it, and you are already enrolled in it. In this guide, I will explain how this feature works and how to disable it on your account to prevent others from generating AI images and videos using your content. Quick answer: How to stop others from generating AI images of you on Instagram Here's the quick version of the steps you need to take to stop other Instagram users from generating your AI images. * Launch Instagram and open your profile. * Open the hamburger menu and tap on "Sharing and reuse." * Under Allow people to reuse your content, turn off the Posts and Reels toggle. Why Muse AI is a privacy problem waiting to happen If you have a public profile, then anyone can use Muse AI to generate images and videos using your photos as a reference. All they need to do is use @ to tag your profile in the prompt, and the AI will use your content for generating the image. While this is not bad in itself and can result in some cool collaborations. A platform with over 3 billion monthly active users will have thousands of bad actors who could use it to create misleading or harmful images of others. X was recently in hot water as it was flooded with nonconsensual adult content created using Grok. People were using it to create sexualized images of girls and even minors and flooding the feeds. It became so problematic that X had to put Grok's image generation behind a paywall and add restrictions to prevent users from modifying your photos. Now, Instagram has enabled its 3 billion users to do the same without any restrictions or paywall. I cannot see it going well. How can you protect yourself? Big companies will do what big companies do without any concern for their user base, so it's up to us to protect ourselves. As I said, by default, if you have a public profile, anyone can use your photos and videos to morph and create AI-generated images of you. But there's a setting you can disable to stop it. Step 1: Launch the Instagram app on your iPhone, open your profile page, and then tap the hamburger menu in the top-right corner to open settings. Step 2: Scroll down to the "How others can interact with you" section and tap to open the "Sharing and reuse" setting. Step 3: Scroll down to find the "Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta" and disable the toggle for both Posts and Reels. Step 4: If for some reason you only want to disable it for individual posts, open the post menu, tap on "Turn off reuse," and confirm. And that is how you can not only protect your content's IP but also prevent people from creating non-consensual images of you. Thanks to generative AI, posting your photos and videos online has become an even bigger risk than ever before, and you should do everything in your power to protect yourself. It takes less than a minute to change this setting, so there's really no excuse to leave it on and hope for the best.

Meta Now Lets Anyone Generate AI Images With Your Instagram Posts, but You Can Stop It

While Meta opts-in all public profiles automatically, there is an option to stop Meta AI from accessing your profile. On Tuesday, Meta announced its new Muse Image model, the first release from "Meta Superintelligence Labs." With the new image model, Meta promises to create hyperrealistic images, posters, and even videos -- once Muse Video launches, anyway. All of that is par for the course for a major AI company. But as Wired reports, there's something weird going on with how it integrates with public Instagram profiles. How Meta's new Instagram image generation feature works By default, anyone using Meta AI can create an image using the likeness of a public Instagram account, which they can then share via chat, Stories, or the Instagram feed. This doesn't have to be a celebrity or a famous person, either (in fact, some celebrity profiles are restricted from this feature). So long as it's public, your personal Instagram profile is fair game here. Google has a similar feature, but it's limited to the user themself, and it only works after an approval process. There are no such guardrails here. This is quite a big privacy issue. Every public profile is automatically opted into this new feature, without their consent. If you're using Meta AI features on Instagram, you're in on this as well. For Meta, the distinction is clear. If you're posting anything publicly, they can use it on their AI platform. Of course, creating an image out of two different faces is nothing new. You can just upload two profile images and get the same effect. But Meta is making this trivially easy on a very large scale. I tested this out in a couple of ways. First, I tried to make an image of me in a fight scene with Robert Downey Jr. The AI refused, perhaps because of image rights. Then, I asked Meta AI to create an image with me and my colleague Pranay Parab. That wasn't possible because he has a private profile (more on that later). Lastly, I asked it to create an image of me having coffee with my friend Dhaval, who owns a cafe, and has a public profile. That image was created in just under a minute, and was based on recent images uploaded by Dhaval and me on our respective profiles (both a couple of years old at this point). It's obviously easy to use, but can you turn it off? How to stop people from using your Instagram profile in their AI images If you have a private Instagram profile, this isn't something you need to worry about -- beyond a mutual taking your photos for their own AI usage. If you have a public profile, you need to disable a setting that lets Meta use your profile data for Meta AI and Reels generation. Open the Instagram app on your iPhone, go to your Profile and tap the three-lined Menu button in the top-right corner. Go to Sharing and Reuse and navigate to the section called Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta. Here, disable the Posts and Reels feature. The good news is that this does work. I tried it on my Instagram coffee page that I rarely use. When I was logged into my personal profile on Meta, I asked Meta AI to create an image of me brewing coffee using my coffee page handle, and it refused, saying it doesn't have the right to do that. This, of course, should be the default.

Meta's New AI Image Generator Can Make Pictures From Anyone's Public Instagram Page

Meta's Superintelligence Labs division has launched its first image model, which is rolling out across Instagram, WhatsApp, and the Meta AI app. Called Muse Image, it allows users to not only create pictures from a text prompt, but it can also use photos from the user's profile or anyone else's profile -- so long as it's public. It can also be used to edit photos. "Muse Image acts as the creative partner that knows your world, making it easy to turn your ideas into high-quality visuals that you can download and share anywhere, including directly to your feed, story, or chat," Meta says in a blog post. Below are a few of the AI examples and templates that Meta has provided on launch, with the prompts they were created from. The company says that there will be 30 new AI-powered effects available in Instagram Stories. Users can @-mention specific Instagram accounts to create AI images of them together; Meta gives an example of an AI birthday image. If the user who is being tagged doesn't want to have their likeness in an AI image, Meta says it is possible to turn off by navigating to "Sharing and reuse" in the Instagram menu. From there, users can toggle "Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta" on or off. Muse Image is entirely free for "everyday creation," but heavy users may need to buy a Meta AI subscription. It is rolling out in the U.S. now, with more countries to follow soon. Muse Video is in development.

Instagram's AI image generator alarms privacy experts

Instagram users should check privacy settings after rollout of new Meta AI image generator, advocates warn Meta has sparked blowback from privacy advocates for allowing its new AI image maker to generate photos of users with public profiles by default. Users of Meta's Muse Image AI tool, released Tuesday, can tag public Instagram profiles and generate pictures that pull from faces of people featured in these social media posts. Instagram users aren't notified when their posts are integrated into what the company describes as its "most advanced image generation model yet". The easiest and most comprehensive solution for those worried about their photos being sucked into Muse Image is to switch public Instagram accounts to private. "It's a blunt solution, but it prevents strangers from using your public profile as source material," notes cybersecurity company Malwarebytes in a 9 July blogpost. But for those who want to keep their account public, there's a more measured approach, too. A Meta spokesperson said in a statement to the Guardian that Muse Image has been built "with strong controls and safety guardrails from day one". "Private accounts and those belonging to users under 18 are automatically excluded and adult users with public accounts can opt out with easy-to-use controls," the company said, adding that it would "take action against any content that violates [their] community standards". Meta directs Instagram users who want to opt out of having their photos fed into their AI image generator to go to the "sharing and reuse" section of settings, and toggle a button that allows people to reuse your content. Privacy advocates argue that expecting users to proactively turn off this feature is unfair - and that "finding the setting is its own adventure", as Malwarebytes writer Danny Bradbury describes. A blogpost from the privacy-focused company Proton says that "data sharing is turned on by default, the opt-out is buried deep in settings, and public backlash becomes the main way users find out what happened to their content". They urge users to "watch the toggles closely" because "the on and off states look nearly identical and a glance, and it's easy to leave one active by mistake". While Meta notes that Muse Image users can't tag accounts belonging to users under the age of 18, and that teens can't use the feature to tag or reference other accounts, the company has not yet clarified whether children depicted in photos of public accounts belonging to adults could be plugged into prompts. Proton said children depicted in public photos risk having their faces appropriated. Thorin Klosowski, a senior security and privacy activist at Electronic Frontier Foundation, says: "This is the sort of setting that should absolutely be opt-in for Instagram users." "It's a new use of the photos they've been posting publicly for years, and certainly wasn't on anyone's mind when they signed up for Instagram years ago," Klosowski said. Meta's press release for Muse Image depicts innocuous uses of the AI image generator: from researching "the hottest women's summer 2026 looks", scanning shoppable links for linen dresses, and dressing the user up in them, to clearing up a foggy image of a lush valley, and turning a purple flower's petals into a rainbow gradient. Another example displays the image generator's more complex capabilities: combining multiple images - such as a particular person, a particular make of a bike, and a visual style to emulate - in a single prompt, to customize the output with a granular level of specificity. "Muse Image can compose elements from many input reference images in the prompt, including people, objects, clothing, styles, and environments," Meta's post notes. Privacy advocates say that these fun features could have a dark side to them. "Meta says Muse Image is meant to make AI image generation more personal by letting people reference public Instagram accounts in their prompts," the Malwarebytes blog post states. "That may sound fun when you're creating images of yourself. It's less appealing when anyone else can do the same with your account." Meta says Muse Image includes robust protections designed to block the generation of policy-violating content. Anyone who comes across an AI-generated image they find objectionable can report it by pressing and holding the image, and selecting a "thumbs down" option, the company notes. Muse Image is currently available in the Meta AI app, Instagram Stories in the US and WhatsApp in limited countries. Meta is already planning to expand its AI image generator's use to Facebook and offer similar video capabilities to creators and Meta AI.

Meta launches image generation model with coding, search capabilities

Meta launches image generation model with coding, search capabilities Meta Platforms Inc. today debuted an image generation model that can write code and search the web. Muse Image is the second algorithm released to date by Meta Superintelligence Labs, the company's artificial intelligence research group. The first is the Muse Spark large language model that made its debut in April. Both algorithms are available through the Meta AI chatbot. Muse Image can generate images based on highly detailed, multi-sentence user prompts. It's also capable of editing existing photos. Users can have the model remove elements such as fog, change the camera angle and perform other changes. The Meta AI chatbot provides the option to refine Muse Image's output by uploading a sketch that explains what edits it should make. Under the hood, the algorithm shares several similarities with reasoning-optimized LLMs. The perhaps most notable is that it features a tool use capability. If a prompt doesn't contain all the details that Muse Image requires to generate a file, it can use a search tool to retrieve the needed information from the web. Another built-in tool enables the model to generate code. For example, it could write a Python script to turn the contents of a spreadsheet into a graph. Scripts help increase the accuracy of complex visualizations. Muse Image can loop in Muse Spark, Meta's reasoning model, when its coding capabilities are insufficient to process a user request. The latter LLM is capable of turning images generated by Muse Image into websites and video games. Many image generators refine their output using a method called best-of-N, or BoN. The technique consists of generating multiple media files and picking the one that best aligns with the user's prompt. Muse Image takes a different approach. Meta says that the model engages in "deliberate reasoning" before it starts generating an image. According to the company, that method enables the model to make better use of the underlying infrastructure than BoN. Muse Image supports a test-time compute feature, which means that increasing the amount of hardware at its disposal boosts output quality. The model reviews the images that it generates before displaying them to users and makes tweaks when necessary. Meta says that the model's self-refining behavior, as it calls the feature, emerged on its own during the reinforcement learning phase of training. Reinforcement learning hones an AI model's reasoning capabilities through trial and error. On launch, Muse Image is available via the Meta AI chatbot in a limited number of markets. It also powers a set of new image effects in Instagram stories. Meta plans to bring the model to Facebook, Messenger and more parts of Instagram in the future. Further down the line, the company will launch a clip generator called Muse Video. The current early iteration of the model is in third place on the popular Arena AI ranking of video generators. Muse Image plans to make Muse Image available to advertisers through its Advantage+ suite of marketing tools in the coming weeks. The company will likely take the same approach with Muse Video. Given that Meta reportedly plans to launch an AI infrastructure service, it's possible the two models will eventually become available to developers via an application programming interface.

Meta launches Muse Image, its first in-house AI image generator

Meta $META introduced Muse Image on Tuesday, the company's first image generation model built in-house, making it available to consumers through the Meta AI app and to advertisers through its Advantage+ ad platform. The model, developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs, powers image creation across Meta AI and a set of new features within Instagram Stories and WhatsApp direct messages, including more than 30 new AI-powered effects, the company said. Muse Image will expand to Facebook and Messenger later in the year. Muse Image is free for general use. Consumers who want higher usage limits can access the model through one of Meta's subscription plans, which debuted in May, the company said. In the coming weeks, advertisers and agencies will be able to use Muse Image through Advantage+, Meta's AI-powered ad tool, to generate and vary image-based ad creative. The model was originally codenamed Mango, according to CNBC. Alexandr Wang, who heads Meta Superintelligence Labs, previously oversaw the April debut of Muse Spark -- a large language model that replaced the company's Llama family -- making Muse Image the lab's second significant model launch. Among Muse Image's features, users can edit photos by annotating directly on an image, tag public Instagram accounts to incorporate their photos into generated images, and snap a photo of a room to generate a redesigned version using real products from the web or Facebook Marketplace, the company said. According to Axios, the tagging feature is on by default, though Instagram users have the option to opt out. Meta released internal benchmark data placing Muse Image below OpenAI's GPT Image 2 in overall performance while putting it ahead of Google $GOOGL's Nano Banana 2 when tested on image-editing scenarios involving one or more photos. Image generation inside Meta AI has until now been handled by outside vendors, including Midjourney and Black Forest Labs; with Muse Image available, the company intends to pull that work in-house, according to CNBC. Meta also said a video generation model called Muse Video is in development, though no release date was given. The launch reflects Meta's broader effort to bring AI capabilities in-house. Meta lost access to a portion of its contracted Gemini capacity from Google earlier this year due to compute constraints, which set back some internal AI projects and prompted the company to ask employees to limit AI token usage. Muse Spark has since taken on more of the work previously handled by Gemini. Meta is also exploring a cloud infrastructure venture that would sell outside developers access to its AI models and computing capacity, putting it in potential competition with Amazon $AMZN Web Services, Microsoft $MSFT Azure, and Google Cloud.

Meta's new AI can generate images of you from your Instagram, and you're opted in

Meta's approach to Instagram likeness rights with Muse Image raises questions that a watermark alone doesn't answer. Meta launched Muse Image on July 7, 2026, and while it's an exciting development, buried inside all the announcements is something that deserves a closer look. If your Instagram account is public, strangers can use your photos to generate AI images of you via Muse Image. More importantly, it's switched on by default. How does this actually work? Muse Image, Meta's new in-house AI image model, lets users @-mention any public Instagram account inside a prompt (as a creative reference). Recommended Videos From there, Meta AI pulls photos from that profile and uses them as visual references to generate new images that incorporate that person's likeness, without asking for consent or sending a notification. Meta's own help page confirms it plainly. "You will not be notified about content created using AI features at Meta," it reads. So someone could be generating AI images using your face right now, and you'd have absolutely no way of knowing, unless they show up somewhere. Instagram's help center also mentions another warning. If your account is public and on default settings, "people may be able to create content with your Instagram content using AI features at Meta." What can you actually do about it? You can opt out, but the process isn't exactly straightforward. Open Instagram, go to your profile, tap the three lines in the top-right corner, scroll to Sharing and reuse, and toggle off both Posts and Reels under the "Allow people to use your content on Instagram and with AI features on Meta" section. Wired noted that as of Tuesday afternoon, some accounts hadn't yet seen the updated language for settings, so it may take time to reach users. Here's the catch, though. Opting out stops future AI generations using your content, but any images already created will not be deleted. Going private has the same limitation. Meta does include an invisible watermarking system called Content Seal in Muse Image outputs, but that only helps verify AI origin. It doesn't give you any control over what's already been made.

Meta 'missed the mark,' disables AI Instagram feature after backlash

"With the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise," labor union SAG-AFTRA said in a social media statement. Less than a week after implementing a new AI-image generator, Meta rolled back a feature that received widespread backlash from users. On July 10, Meta disabled a feature allowing Instagram users to easily create AI-generated images from photos and videos shared by public accounts. The feature, which was automatically enabled on all Instagram accounts, was introduced on July 7 along with Meta's new Muse Image, the tech giant's latest AI-image generator. "Earlier this week, we announced that one way for people to generate images in Meta AI is by @-mentioning public Instagram accounts that they want to reference. 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," a Meta statement obtained by USA TODAY on July 10 said. "We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available." But in a TikTok video shared over the weekend, content creator and social media consultant Sarah Whittle reminded viewers any content on the internet can still be used to create AI-generated content. Just because Instagram users can no longer tag specific accounts while using Muse, doesn't mean photos can't be pulled over to the AI generator in other ways. "Is it good that this public outcry ... led to some good changes? Yeah, but ultimately, this doesn't change anyone from taking any piece of content online and putting it into another generative tool," Whittle said in her video. What Instagram feature was disabled? Available as part of Meta's newly launched Muse Image, an Instagram user could enter the username of another public user to pull photos and videos from that account to create AI-generated content, as long as this other public user allowed it. Users had the ability to prohibit their content from being used in this way through their profile settings. What were people saying about the feature? The feature that allowed Instagram users to @-mention other public users to create AI-generated images was largely met with criticism, including from several larger organizations. "With the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise," labor union SAG-AFTRA said in a social media statement after the feature was released. "We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the responsible thing to do." While some expressed concerns about AI image generation broadly, more appeared upset that the feature was automatically enabled. "The tool itself is not the surprising part. The surprising part is still pretending 'you can turn it off in settings' is meaningful consent for normal users," one Reddit user said in the r/technology subreddit. "This definitely changes how I think about public profiles," another user said in the r/Instagram subreddit. "Convenience for AI shouldn't come at the cost of user privacy." What is Muse Image? What can it do? Muse Image functions, in many ways, similarly to ChatGPT's image generator. A user may enter a written prompt to create an image from scratch or input photos/videos to alter or create something new. Examples Meta provides in a news release include creating a mock up of a user at a historical landmark, erasing a photobomber from a group photo or creating a functional QR code from scratch. Muse can also create text-heavy images, like infographics or invitations. Muse can also virtually design a room, based on a photo of the room, and provide product recommendations from the internet or Facebook Marketplace, according to a Meta news release. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].

Meta u-turns on AI feature amid privacy backlash

Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta took down a new artificial intelligence model for Instagram on Friday, just days after debuting this feature to immediate public backlash. The company advertised its Muse Image AI model on Tuesday as a "creative partner" that people could use to generate AI photos for their social media pages. However, the feature drew widespread criticism over privacy and copyright concerns after all users were automatically opted in to this new feature. "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," Meta said in a statement. "We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available." The new Instagram feature was part of a broader rollout of Muse Image on WhatsApp and the Meta AI app. The Friday decision only pauses this model's use on Instagram. SAG-AFTRA, a labor union representing performers and broadcasters, called the new model "unacceptable" and shared instructions for how users could turn off these automatic settings in social media posts following Meta's announcement. "With the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise," the union said on Friday. "We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the responsible thing to do." Watchdog group Public Citizen also shared their approval of Meta's decision to take down this "invasive" feature in a social media statement on Saturday. "Big Tech wanted to strip away our right to privacy. But the people spoke up, and we won," the group said. The company previously came into hot water last fall over its AI video generator Sora. The app shut down in March after users similarly complained that the feature presented copyright issues and raised concerns that it could lead to an increase in nonconsensual images.

3 Days After Introducing an AI Feature, Meta Hits Pause in Wake of Privacy Backlash

The feature, called Muse Image, was introduced on Tuesday as part of Meta Superintelligence Labs' broader push into generative AI products. The company hit the pause button on Friday. Critics, citing privacy and copyright concerns, objected to the fact that public Instagram accounts were included by default rather than through an explicit opt-in process. "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," Meta said in a statement issued Friday afternoon. "We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available."

Amid Criticism, Meta Reins in New AI Tool That Automatically Accessed Public Instagram Images

Meta has pulled the plug on a feature of a recently launched AI tool following criticism that it made Instagram accounts fodder for use in creating AI-generated images. The move on Friday came less than a week after the parent of Instagram and Facebook rolled out Muse Image, its first image-generation model available through the company's artificial intelligence assistant, Meta AI. "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," Meta said in a statement. "We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available." Like other AI apps with image-generating capabilities, Muse Image creates images based on users' suggestions. But its also automatically made photos posted on all public Instagram accounts usable by the AI tool as a reference when creating new images. That led to a flurry of social media posts flagging privacy concerns and instructing Instagram users how to opt out of having their accounts accessed by Muse Image. Hollywood also was quick to raise concerns about the image-generation feature. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists urged its members to change the settings on their Instagram account to protect their likeness. In a statement on X, SAG-AFTRA applauded Meta's decision to shut off the feature. "With the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise," the union said. "We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the right thing to do."

Meta's new image and video AI tools let you turn Instagram into your creative mood board

Meta has been cooking something up, and today, it finally put it on the table. On July 7, 2026, Meta Superintelligence Labs launched Muse Image and Muse Video (in preview), its first in-house media generation models. The rollout comes with a few features that are genuinely hard to argue with. What makes Muse Image actually different? You can mention a public Instagram account (using '@') directly in your prompt, and Muse Image will use photos from that profile as visual references for your design. Recommended Videos So, if you want a custom event invite that features your brand's aesthetic, or you're building a creative concept with a collaborator, you can simply tag the required account. It's a genuinely novel feature, one that ties image generation directly to the social graph Meta has dominated for two decades. Beyond that, Muse Image works more like an agent than a traditional text-to-image model. How does it actually stack up against the competition? Rather than generating a single output based on your prompt, it thinks through the request, searches the web for factual context, writes and runs code when accuracy matters (for charts or QR codes), and self-corrects its output before handing you the result. On Arena.ai's human-preference leaderboard, which ranks models based on real user votes, Muse Image holds the second spot across text-to-image, single-image editing, and multi-image editing as of July 5, 2026. Only OpenAI's GPT Image 2 ranks higher, at 1,385, compared to Muse Image's 1,280. Meanwhile, Google's Nano Banana 2 (1,270) and MAI Image 2.5 (1,257) trail behind. Muse Image is free for everyday use in the Meta AI app (meta.ai), Instagram Stories (US), and WhatsApp in select countries. Facebook support is coming soon. For those who require higher-volume creation, a subscription tier unlocks that. What about Muse Video? Built on the same pretraining base as Muse Image, Muse Video supports native audio, generating sound alongside visuals. On Arena.ai, it already ranks #3 for text-to-video in human preference. Meta has been upfront that audio-video synchronization and fast motion physics still need work, which is exactly why this is a preview and not a full launch. Muse Video is coming soon to creators and Meta AI, with no firm date attached yet. To me, Muse Image and Muse Video aren't just product releases. They represent Meta cutting ties with third-party AI vendors it has depended on for years. Building in-house gives Meta faster iteration, tighter integration, and control over advertiser tools it's increasingly monetizing.

Why Meta Removed Its New Muse AI Image Feature in Less Than a Week

Instagram users could tag other accounts to reuse their content Meta introduced a new Muse Image feature last week, based on the firm's first AI model from the tech firm's Superintelligence Labs. The feature lets users reuse "publicly available" content, which has been posted by Instagram users. This AI-generated content can then be shared with others on various Meta-owned platforms, including WhatsApp and Facebook. This drew criticism from Instagram users, highlighting the privacy risks the newly added functionality poses. Now, the US-based company has updated the original blog post to announce that the feature has been removed. However, it did not address the highlighted privacy concerns. Meta Says Its Muse Image Feature 'Missed the Mark' The Mark Zuckerberg-led tech giant recently updated the Muse Image blog post to announce that the functionality is "no longer available". The company said that the decision was taken because of the "feedback" it received regarding the Muse Image feature on Instagram, saying that the feature "missed the mark". Meta said, "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." Soon after the tech giant launched the Muse Image tool on July 7, which was powered by Meta Superintelligence Labs' first image-generation model, users took to various social media platforms, highlighting their concerns regarding the misuse of the AI-powered tool and the privacy risks it poses. Gadgets 360 members were able to confirm that the "Sharing and reuse" settings page has been updated to remove the toggles for the Meta AI features, and has been renamed to "Sharing". Apart from privacy-related concerns, Meta automatically enrolled all public accounts and other "publicly available" content for reuse by other users via the Muse Image feature, without notifying the content owners. To restrict access to their "publicly available" content, users had to either switch to a private Instagram account or disallow people from reusing content on Instagram with AI features at Meta from the Instagram settings menu. Alternatively, users had to toggle reuse for each post off individually. Integrated within the Meta AI chat, users were allowed to mention other public Instagram accounts and use their content "as reference" and generate their own versions using the Muse Image feature. However, the content owner was neither informed about the automatic enrolment of their accounts nor about their content being reused.

Meta scraps AI image feature days after launch following privacy backlash

Meta discontinued its new AI image generation feature after significant criticism. The tool allowed image creation using public Instagram accounts without explicit user consent. Actors and a Hollywood union voiced strong objections regarding privacy concerns. Meta stated the feature missed the mark and is no longer available. This reversal highlights growing user control demands for AI content usage. Meta said on Friday it is discontinuing an AI feature launched this week that allowed users to generate images using public Instagram accounts, after drawing widespread criticism over privacy concerns, including from a Hollywood union. "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," Meta said in a statement. "We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available," it said. Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, had launched Muse Image on Tuesday, its first image-generation model from Meta Superintelligence Labs. The feature, integrated into its Meta AI chatbot, can use photos ⁠as input and lets users edit generated images directly through sketches. The feature soon faced backlash over privacy concerns and being an automatic ⁠opt-in for users. Emmy-winning actor Hannah Einbinder, known for "Hacks," criticized the feature on Instagram, saying it had been turned on automatically and urging users to turn it off. SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors and other media professionals, also urged members and other Instagram users on Thursday to opt out of the feature. "Anything other than a clear and conspicuous opt-in for these types of uses of Instagram users' images is unacceptable, and an utter miscalculation of public sentiment regarding the obvious dangers and harms inherent in such use," SAG-AFTRA said. Following Meta's decision to ⁠remove the feature, SAG-AFTRA welcomed the move. "With the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise. We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the responsible thing to do," a union spokesperson said. The reversal reflects increasing pressure on technology companies to give users clear control over how their publicly shared content is used by AI features.

Meta Pulls AI Image Feature After Privacy Backlash, Admits It 'Missed the Mark' Amid SAG-AFTRA Criticism

Meta Reverses Course On AI Image Tool The tool, integrated into the Meta AI chatbot, allowed users to generate and edit AI-created images using public Instagram photos as input. Critics, however, argued the feature was enabled by default rather than requiring users to opt in. "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," Meta said in a statement. The company acknowledged the backlash, adding, "We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available." Privacy Concerns Spark User, Hollywood Backlash The feature drew widespread criticism over concerns that it could enable AI-generated digital replicas without clear user consent. Emmy-winning actor Hannah Einbinder criticized the feature on Instagram, saying it had been turned on automatically and urging followers to disable it, Reuters reported. SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors and other media professionals, also urged members and Instagram users to opt out, arguing that "anything other than a clear and conspicuous opt-in" for AI use of users' images was "an utter miscalculation of public sentiment." Following Meta's decision to discontinue the feature, the union welcomed the move. "With the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise," a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson said. "We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the responsible thing to do." Price Action: Meta shares closed Friday up 5.97% at $669.21 during the regular session, before slipping 0.18% to $668.02 in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro. According to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, Meta ranks in the 88th percentile for Growth. Although the stock has lagged over the long term, it has posted strong momentum in the short and medium term. Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Image via Shutterstock Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.

Make sure Meta can't use your Instagram posts for AI deepfakes

SAG-AFTRA is now protesting against the Meta terms and conditions, which "force" people to allow AI to use their images freely, with users having to actively opt out. Meta has quietly pulled a dirty trick on Instagram, where they're now using your photos for AI-generated content. That basically means anyone can use your photos to create AI images depicting you. The risk of abuse is obviously huge (not least with deepfakes), but that seems to be a secondary concern for Meta. This feature has been enabled without asking users for their consent, and if you don't want it, you have to actively opt out rather than the other way, which would otherwise be the reasonable approach. Now, the union for American entertainers and actors, SAG-AFTRA, has also taken notice of this and is offering advice on how to prevent Meta from using your photos for AI-related purposes. Fortunately, it's easy to opt out and it only takes about 30 seconds. Here's how to do it: If you do this, Meta can no longer let others use your photos and images to generate AI-generated images. Unfortunately, this setting doesn't affect images that have already been created, only future ones, so hurry up.

How to Opt Out of Meta's Muse Image AI Feature on Instagram

* Users cannot stop their comments from being reused * Meta's Muse Image AI feature has sparked privacy concerns * You can also disallow the reuse of specific Instagram posts Meta recently launched the Muse Image AI model, the first from the US-based tech giant's Superintelligence Labs. The AI model enables a new feature across Meta-owned social media platforms. With the added functionality, others can now mention your Instagram handle while generating an image using the AI-powered tool. The image generator can then use your "publicly available" content as a reference. These images can then be shared across social media platforms without your knowledge. This has raised privacy concerns, especially since your content is enrolled for reuse by default. The company is also in the process of developing the Muse Video model, which would let users generate clips using your content. However, since the AI tool can only refer to publicly available content, you can restrict its access through various methods. For reference, you can choose to switch to a private Instagram account. Meanwhile, you can also disallow the reuse of your Instagram content from the settings menu. If you are wondering how you can protect your Reels, posts, profile photo, and original audio from being reused with AI features on Instagram, we have prepared a step-by-step guide to help with the same. How to Opt Out of Meta Muse Image AI While Keeping Your Instagram Account Public If you do not wish to switch to a private Instagram profile, you can follow these steps to opt out of the feature: How to Change Meta AI Settings for Individual Posts Instagram also lets you disallow the reuse of specific posts and Reels with Meta's AI features. Follow these steps:

Meta Muse Image: How to disable AI access to your Instagram photos

Meta has launched Muse Image, a new AI-powered image generation and editing tool developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs. Announced on Tuesday, the feature allows users to create or edit images using text prompts and sketches, just like any other image-generation tool. Currently available only in the US, Muse Image can be accessed for free through the Meta AI app, Instagram Stories and WhatsApp. Why it's under fire The rollout has sparked privacy concerns because the tool can generate AI images using photos from public Instagram accounts. By simply including an Instagram username in a prompt, users can create AI-generated images based on another person's public posts or reels, raising questions around consent and the potential for misuse. Since the setting is enabled by default, public Instagram content can be used with Meta AI unless users choose to manually turn it off. How to opt out Users who do not want their public Instagram content to be used with Meta AI can disable the setting by following these steps: * Open your Instagram profile and tap the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner. * Scroll down to Sharing and reuse. * Find the option that says, "Allow people to use your content on Instagram with AI features on Meta." * Turn the setting off for both posts and reels. However, disabling the setting also turns off Instagram's content reuse features. This means creators who depend on tools like Remixes to boost engagement and reach may see fewer opportunities for their content to be shared. Government to examine feature The feature has also caught the attention of the Indian government. Electronics and information technology secretary S Krishnan said on Thursday that officials will examine whether Muse Image complies with India's legal framework following concerns over privacy, consent and the use of public photos to create AI-generated images. "The government will see if Meta's Muse image feature is in accordance with the legal framework or not. We will examine the representations we receive on the matter," he said. Muse Image arrives as technology companies continue adding generative AI features to social media platforms. The launch has renewed calls from privacy experts for stronger safeguards and greater transparency so users clearly understand how their photos and personal data may be used by AI systems.

Meta Shuts Down AI Image Tool Following Backlash | PYMNTS.com

The tech giant last Tuesday (July 7) introduced a tool that let users generate images using public Instagram accounts. By Friday (July 10), the feature was pulled, after Meta received widespread privacy-related criticism. "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," Meta said in a statement shared by Reuters. "We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available." According to Reuters, the feature had faced backlash related to privacy concerns. It had allowed anyone to generate an image of another person by public Instagram username in a prompt. Public accounts had been included by default unless users navigate to a setting to opt out. As covered here last week, Meta's own policy states that users "will not be notified about content created using AI features at Meta." The opt-out also did not apply retroactively, meaning that images generated before a user turns off the setting remain in the system. "That distinction matters because most users will not find the setting, and some who look for it on launch day could not locate it at all," PYMNTS wrote. "Public photos posted for an audience of followers become reusable inputs for AI generation by strangers, advertisers and Meta's own ad system without any action required from the account holder. The feature is free to use. The identity data powering it belongs to the people who posted it. Whether they agreed to that use is now a question for regulators in multiple jurisdictions." According to the Reuters report, SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors and other media professionals, urged its members and other Instagram users to opt out of the feature. "Anything other than a clear and conspicuous opt-in for these types of uses of Instagram users' images is unacceptable, and an utter miscalculation of public sentiment regarding the obvious dangers and harms inherent in such use," SAG-AFTRA said. In the wake of Meta's decision to remove the feature, a spokesperson for the union welcomed the move, calling it "the responsible thing to do." As PYMNTS noted last week, this is happening as Meta faces enormous pressure to show that its AI investments are generating revenue. The company in April forecast AI capital expenditures of $115 billion to $135 billion for 2026, almost double last year's amount.

Meta Pulls AI Feature That Used Public Instagram Photos After User Backlash

Meta has withdrawn a newly launched artificial intelligence feature that allowed users to generate AI images by referencing photos from public Instagram accounts, following widespread criticism over privacy, consent, and the potential for misuse. The feature was introduced earlier this week as part of the company's new AI image-generation platform but has now been removed after receiving negative feedback from users and creators. Meta Acknowledges the Feature Fell Short The company has not indicated whether it plans to introduce a redesigned version with stronger privacy protections in the future. Concerns Over AI Misuse Intensify The controversy has once again highlighted growing concerns around generative AI and the use of publicly available content. Experts have warned that AI-powered image tools can be exploited to create misleading, manipulated, or inappropriate images if adequate safeguards are not in place. As competition in AI intensifies, companies are under increasing pressure to ensure that innovation is accompanied by responsible design, robust privacy safeguards, and user trust. The episode serves as another reminder that AI features affecting personal content must strike the right balance between creativity and individual rights. With the feature now removed, attention is likely to shift toward how Meta -- and the broader tech industry -- approaches consent, transparency, and ethical AI development in future product launches.

CAA Calls Out Meta For Making Its Muse AI Video and Photo Tool Opt-Out

It's Sora all over again. Meta, led by CEO and AI enthusiast Mark Zuckerberg, this week rolled out the first photo and video tools to come out of its Superintelligence Labs: Muse Photo and Muse Video. The tool brings Meta in line with the state of the art in AI media creation, alongside Google's Gemini and Seedance 2.0, but along with the tools, Meta also said that all public Instagram profiles will be opt-out, not opt-in, and other users can pull in those other accounts that don't opt out and create new content using their profiles. For celebrities and other high-profile figures, that could be a major problem, even if most do end up opting out. Now Creative Artists Agency is calling out Meta for the move, and asking the tech giant to make it opt-in, not opt-out. "No one's name, image, likeness, voice, or creative work should be used by any third party, including AI models, without clear, documented consent. True innovation puts creators first: respecting their rights, protecting their livelihoods, and giving them real control, not handing it over to platforms," CAA said in a statement Wednesday evening. "We have raised our concerns with Meta on behalf of our clients, voicing our disapproval and perspective on the need for a more responsible approach. We call on Meta to make protection the default on Muse Image, not the exception, and enable individuals to opt-in if they want to allow usage of their image or likeness for AI content creation. "Artists deserve to decide if and how their likeness and work is used, with consent and the ability to set their own terms," the statement continues. "This means letting creators impose restrictions, monitor usage, and prevent unauthorized endorsements or exploitation. Responsible AI requires clear disclosures and swift removal of unauthorized content. There must be easy ways to spot, track, and take down misuse, and it should be clear when something is AI-generated. CAA believes in the power of new technology, but not at the cost of individuals' rights or livelihoods. The future of creativity depends on respecting the ownership and autonomy of those who make it possible." CAA, of course, is well aware of the opportunities and threats posed by generative AI to its clients. The agency maintains what it calls the "CAA Vault," where the digital likenesses of its clients reside for potential future monetization and protection, and the agency was the first test user of YouTube's deepfake detection tool, which rolled out to all of Hollywood earlier this year. The Muse situation is reminiscent of the botches launch of OpenAI's Sora, which was overrun with well-known IP and the likenesses of many high-profile figures, forcing the AI giant to pivot to an opt-in model, before it scrapped the video model altogether earlier this year. With many celebrities, artists, creators and other high-profile figures on Instagram, an opt-out model may not be good enough, especially when their likeness is their livelihood.

Meta's Muse Image Lets Users Create Content Using Public Instagram Posts

Meta has introduced Muse Image, its first image generation model from Meta Superintelligence Labs, alongside a new feature that allows users to generate AI images using public Instagram photos unless account owners choose to opt out. The model is rolling out across Meta AI, Instagram and WhatsApp, and lets users tag public Instagram accounts to incorporate publicly available photos into AI-generated visuals. Meta says Instagram users can disable the feature through their account settings if they do not want their public content to be used. Meta Introduces Muse Image With New Instagram AI Photo Controls According to Meta's press release, Muse Image is the company's first image generation model developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs. It is now available through Meta AI and powers new image generation and editing features across Instagram and WhatsApp. Support for Facebook, Messenger and Advantage+ creative for advertisers will be introduced later, while Meta also confirmed that a Muse Video model is currently in development. One of the key additions is support for public Instagram content in AI image generation. When creating an image, users can mention public Instagram accounts in their prompts, enabling Meta AI to reference publicly available images from those profiles as it generates the final result. Meta said people can manage whether their Instagram content is available for this feature through a dedicated setting that can be switched off at any time. Instagram's support documentation says the setting is available under the Sharing and reuse section. Making an account private also prevents future AI image generation using that account's content. Meta noted that AI-generated images created before a user changes these settings will not be removed. The company also said users will not receive notifications if someone creates AI-generated content using their public Instagram posts. Meta said the model analyses a user's request before generating images. The company said Muse Spark assists the system by organising the request, incorporating relevant online information where required and merging different visual inputs into a single image. Meta said people can create or edit images using natural language prompts, combine several photographs into one composition and apply a range of visual styles. The model also supports image editing through text prompts. Users can remove unwanted objects from photos, place themselves in different locations, or generate graphics containing readable text. Meta said Muse Image can also create functional QR codes and produce text within images that matches the requested visual style. Meta has introduced preset prompts to help users begin creating images. These include options to restore old family photographs, experiment with different hairstyles or transform images into styles such as clay animation, retro video game characters and other artistic formats. Users can also upload a photograph of a room and ask Meta AI to redesign it using products sourced from the web or Facebook Marketplace. Meta has also introduced an editing tool that lets users draw directly on an image to highlight the areas they want modified. Subsequent edits can be made within the same conversation, eliminating the need to restart the image creation process. Muse Image also powers more than 30 AI-generated effects for Instagram Stories. The model is also available within chats with Meta AI on WhatsApp in selected countries, with a wider rollout planned. Meta said Muse Image is free for everyday image creation through Meta AI, while higher usage limits will be available through the company's subscription plans.

Muse Image Brings Next-Generation AI to Image Generation for Businesses

AI has crossed a new threshold for ads creative -and that means new creative possibilities for marketers and agencies, from faster iteration to richer variation, all in service of the storytelling and strategy that drives results. More than 8 million advertisers are using at least one of our generative AI ad creative tools. And today, we're making those tools more powerful and more tailored to each advertiser. Muse Image -- the first image generation model from Meta Superintelligence Labs -- will soon help power image generation in Advantage+ creative. The same model behind the new AI creative experiences rolling out to consumers across Meta AI, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is bringing that same intelligence to the ads you create for your business. A Smarter Creative Engine, Built on Your Brand Today, image generation in Advantage+ creative helps advertisers and agencies produce diverse creative variations -- from generating new backgrounds around product images, to creating full lifestyle image variations inspired by existing ads, to producing static images directly from video creative. These capabilities help you achieve creative diversity, which has been shown to improve campaign performance. With Muse Image, image generation is getting a major upgrade. Muse Image is built with agentic visual reasoning and self-refinement, meaning it understands complex creative briefs the way a designer would -- not just individual keywords. Muse Image brings native reasoning to the creative process to adjust elements, swap styles, and create variations based on the advertiser's creative, resulting in high-quality, on-brand ad variations with fewer iterations. In the coming weeks, advertisers and agencies can expect to see image variants powered by Muse Image. Early Advertiser Feedback Early results with Muse Image powered image generation variants are showing strong promise -- advertisers who tested the new image generation experience saw higher-quality creative, praising the photorealism quality and ability to preserve product integrity. Room Restyle: Helping People Discover Your Products in Their World We're making it easier for businesses to turn discovery into purchase on Meta. Meta AI Shopping mode is creating entirely new moments of organic discovery -- and now, Muse Image is making that experience even more visual and immersive. Meta AI can now reimagine a shopper's room, powered by Muse Image's photorealistic image generation. When someone uploads a photo of their space, Meta AI restyles it with real products from businesses' product catalogs -- showing how each item looks in their actual room. They can compare options, keep the conversation going to refine the look, or tap through to shop directly on a brand's website. For U.S. businesses, this means your catalog products appear in the most compelling context possible: a shopper's actual home. These capabilities are powered by the same product data infrastructure that already drives your ads performance. The brands that invest now in catalog quality and platform presence will be best positioned as AI-powered discovery scales.

Meta Launches New Image Generation Tool for Consumers and Businesses | PYMNTS.com

Muse Image is the first such model developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs, the company said in a Tuesday (July 7) press release. The model understands complex prompts and blends multiple photos into creations that can be downloaded and shared to the user's chat, story or feed. It also features suggested prompts designed to spark ideas, the ability to "@ mention" to add photos to creations, and the ability to sketch changes or edits directly on images. "Muse Image also powers creative experiences on Instagram and WhatsApp, and is coming soon to Facebook, Messenger and for advertisers through Meta Advantage+ creative," Meta said in the release. In another Tuesday press release meant for businesses, Meta said Muse Image will start helping power image generation in Meta Advantage+ creative within weeks and will bring smarter reasoning and iterative refinement to Meta's existing generative AI ad creation tool. "Early results with Muse Image-powered generation variants show strong promise -- advertisers who tested the experience cited higher-quality creative, with photorealism and product integrity standing out," the company said in the release. In a Tuesday blog post introducing Muse Image, Meta said the tool can follow instructions faithfully, edit with precision, compose from multiple references, draw on Instagram for social context, provide agentic tool use and integrate with Meta's Muse Spark. Meta announced Muse Spark in April, saying that it is the first in a series of new AI models, that it powers the Meta AI app and website, and that it would soon roll out to the company's social media platforms and AI glasses. Later in April, during the company's earnings call, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that it had seen a surge in business users employing its AI tools and that the number of conversations these tools were handling had leapt from 1 million a week at the start of the year to 10 million a week by late March. It was reported in June that after spending $14 billion to bring Alexandr Wang and his Scale AI team into the fold in 2025, Meta is facing pressure to prove it can monetize the resulting AI tools such as Muse Spark. For all PYMNTS digital transformation coverage, subscribe to the daily Digital Transformation Newsletter.

Why Did Meta Discontinue the Muse AI Feature on Instagram?

Meta has abruptly taken down a controversial AI feature it added to Instagram after facing widespread criticism from users over privacy concerns. The feature, called Muse AI, allowed people to tag public Instagram accounts and reuse their content to create AI-generated or altered images. MediaNama's take: It's highly problematic that Meta was encouraging its users to create and share non-consensual AI-altered images on Instagram. When X's Grok let users generate sexualised images of women from December 2025, MeitY issued a notice, sought an Action Taken Report in 72 hours, and warned X it could lose Section 79 safe harbour. Secretary S. Krishnan said platforms "cannot escape their duty... simply by pleading safe harbour." MediaNama had also pointed out that Meta would not notify users if someone generated AI images based on their public Instagram profile without their knowledge. How would users know if their images and content had been misused or morphed without their consent unless there was a public backlash over it? Furthermore, Meta had said Muse Image users could not tag users under 18, and minors could not use the feature to tag other accounts. But what about children who appear in photos posted by adults with public accounts? Could they be used as inputs in prompts? If so, children featured in public photos risk having their faces appropriated. Meta admits it 'missed the mark': "Earlier this week, we announced that one way for people to generate images in Meta AI is by @-mentioning public Instagram accounts that they want to reference. 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. We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available," Instagram said while announcing the discontinuation. Why was Muse AI slammed by privacy advocates? Hollywood actors' union SAG-AFTRA said, "Anything other than a clear and conspicuous opt-in for these types of uses of Instagram users' images is unacceptable, and an utter miscalculation of public sentiment regarding the obvious dangers and harms inherent in such use." Proton, a privacy-focused company, said that "data sharing is turned on by default, the opt-out is buried deep in settings, and public backlash becomes the main way users find out what happened to their content". It warned users to "watch the toggles closely" because "the on and off states look nearly identical at a glance, and it's easy to leave one active by mistake". Malwarebytes said in a blog post that "Public Instagram photos were already being harvested by attackers to create deepfakes for identity verification fraud. Giving people an official way to generate AI images based on public profiles lowers the barrier to creating synthetic images that could be used for impersonation, scams, or other abuse". Privacy International told the BBC that it was "the latest sign AI companies see people's images and data as raw material to be exploited."

Want to stop Meta's Muse AI from using your Instagram photos? Here's how to opt out

Meta's newest AI feature is giving users a reason to check their Instagram settings. The company recently rolled out Muse Image, an AI image generator that can create original images, edit photos and even generate ads. But one feature, in particular, has sparked concerns: anyone can use photos from public Instagram accounts to generate AI images by simply tagging that account. While Meta excludes private accounts and users under 18 by default, public accounts remain eligible. That means your public posts and reels could be used in AI-generated creations by other users, without you being notified. Also Read: What is Meta's Muse Image? How to use Meta's new AI image generator, what it can do, where it's available and is it free? The feature has raised questions around consent, privacy and the potential for misuse, including impersonation and non-consensual image manipulation. If you'd rather keep your Instagram content out of Meta's AI features, here's how you can turn the setting off. How to stop Meta AI from using your Instagram photos * Open Instagram and head to your profile. * Tap the three-line menu in the top-right corner. * Scroll down to Sharing and reuse. * Look for "Allow people to use your content on Instagram with AI features on Meta." * Turn the toggle off for both Posts and Reels. The rollout comes even as the government is looking into concerns around the use of public Instagram data. Speaking on the sidelines of the CII GCC Business Summit, MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan said the ministry would examine whether the scraping of data from public Instagram accounts complies with India's legal framework after it receives responses to notices issued in the matter. Also Read: Govt to examine Meta's Muse AI tool that lets users generate images from Instagram profiles: IT Secretary "There is a lot of social media push, backlash against that, a lot of concerns within people. We will have to look at it with reference to the legal framework and whether it is in accordance with the legal framework or not," Krishnan said. He added that the ministry will decide its next course of action after reviewing the responses, which are now due. Meta's AI rollout comes at a time when social media platforms are rapidly adding generative AI tools. But as those features become more powerful, they are also raising bigger questions around how user content is collected, reused and whether people have enough control over where their photos end up.

Meta yanks controversial AI image tool after privacy backlash: 'Force their slop down everyone's throat'

Meta yanked its new Instagram AI image feature - which automatically opted in photos from all public accounts - just a few days after launch following heated backlash over privacy concerns. "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," Meta said in a statement Friday. "We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available." The Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp owner last Tuesday launched Muse Image, its first AI image generator meant to compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT Images 2.0 and Google's Nano Banana 2. Meta's Superintelligence Labs folded the new bot into Instagram and automatically enrolled all public accounts, meaning anyone on the internet could simply tag your username in an AI prompt and generate an image using your likeness. Instagram accounts would not be notified about content created using the AI image tool, so your photos and videos could be transformed by other users without your knowledge - unless you manually turned off the feature in settings. "This is diabolical," one user wrote in a post on X, complaining that they were unable to turn off the feature. "It keeps automatically toggling it back on. I can't turn it off unless I go private." Another user complained: "Basically now anyone can clone your voice, face easily on Insta. And even if you figure this privacy setting out and switch it off, some are reporting it turns on by itself. So I have a simple recommendation as always. Stop using Meta's products." Many online blasted Meta for automatically enrolling public accounts, with one writing, "Classic Instagram making us do homework just to keep our privacy," while another wrote, "If a feature requires harvesting my identity, it should never start as a 'yes.'" Others argued that Meta had likely automatically enrolled accounts because the public remains skeptical of artificial intelligence. "AI features like this in Meta and Google services are opt in by default because they get to show their reports as NUMBER GO UP, after pouring billions into AI that NO ONE WANTS!" one infuriated user wrote. "Damn theyre [sic] trying real hard to force their slop down eveyrone's [sic] throat," another jibed. Yet another asked: "How is there not 1 [sic] sensible human on that leadership team to say, 'Oh wait, our customers hate this slop. Maybe we shouldn't force it on them?'" People also shared difficulties turning off the feature through the web browser version of Instagram, saying they needed to download the app to opt-out of the tool. Emmy-winning actor and "Hacks" star Hannah Einbinder slammed the feature in a post on Instagram, as did SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood actors and workers. After Meta scrapped the feature, a spokesperson for the union said: "With the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise. We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the responsible thing to do." It's not the first AI image generator to face backlash, after Elon Musk's Grok launched a similar tool earlier this year. His AI company is currently facing a class-action lawsuit and an EU privacy investigation after Grok allowed users to "nudify" images of real women and children on social-media platform X. Apple reportedly privately threatened to remove Grok from its App Store in January over the deepfake controversy.

Instagram Users Raise Privacy Alarm, Meta Responds by Suspending AI Feature

Meta has halted the rollout of a new AI image feature on Instagram after many users raised privacy concerns. The company says it is reviewing the feedback before bringing the feature back. Meta has paused a new AI image feature on Instagram just a few days after its introduction. The company decided to address users' concerns about privacy and how the tool handled personal photos. The feature could create AI-generated images by using pictures from a user's Instagram account. While some people enjoyed trying it, others wanted clear answers about how their photos were being used. Many users said they did not fully understand what the tool could access or what happened to their images after they were uploaded. As complaints spread across social media, Meta decided to stop the rollout. The company says it is reviewing the feedback and working on improvements before the feature returns.

Meta to integrate Muse Image model into ad creative tools By Investing.com

Investing.com -- Meta will integrate Muse Image, the first image generation model from Meta Superintelligence Labs, into its Advantage+ creative ad tool in the coming weeks. The company announced the update on Tuesday. The new model uses visual reasoning and self-refinement capabilities to generate ad variations. Meta said Muse Image can interpret creative briefs and adjust elements to produce brand-consistent advertising content. More than 8 million advertisers currently use at least one of Meta's generative AI ad creative tools. The Advantage+ creative tool currently helps advertisers produce creative variations, including new backgrounds for product images and lifestyle image variations. Advertisers who tested the Muse Image-powered generation reported higher-quality creative output. The testers highlighted photorealism and product integrity as notable improvements. Muse Image will also power a room restyling feature in Meta AI Shopping. The feature allows users to visualize products from business catalogs in their own spaces. The same model is being deployed across Meta AI, Instagram, and WhatsApp for consumer-facing AI creative experiences. This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Meta Muse Image Uses Public Instagram Photos by Default: How to Turn It Off

Meta's new AI image generator, Muse Image, can turn a person's public Instagram photos into AI-generated pictures without telling them, and Meta opts public accounts into this by default. A user builds the image by @-mentioning someone's account, and Meta neither asks for nor notifies the person whose photos it uses. The BBC reported that the tool is drawing backlash over consent, with critics warning it makes it easier to create non-consensual altered images. Why it matters: Meta opts public accounts in by default, so anyone can use a person's photos to build an AI image unless that person switches off a buried setting (how to do that is below). India has just built a deepfake takedown regime and spent months pressing X over Grok's non-consensual image generation, and a Meta tool that turns public photos into AI images walks into the same fight. Where Muse Image is live: * It is the first image model from Meta Superintelligence Labs, available through the Meta AI app, the web, WhatsApp, and Instagram Stories, where it powers more than 30 new effects. * It is currently live for United States users only, with Meta saying it will expand to Facebook and Messenger. * Advertisers will be able to use it through Advantage+ creative "in the coming weeks." * Meta AI with Muse Image is free for everyday use, with heavier usage available through a subscription. Critics say it is built for misuse: Meta's press release claims users have "control... with an easy setting to turn this feature off at any time." Critics say the design invites abuse regardless. * Foxglove, a tech-justice non-profit, told the BBC it was an "obvious recipe for disaster," citing a year of harms caused by non-consensual AI-altered images. * Privacy International told the BBC it was "the latest sign AI companies see people's images and data as raw material to be exploited." * The tool arrives as Ofcom investigates X over Grok for similar conduct that drew action from the Indian government, signalling the scrutiny Muse is likely to attract. Meta says every output carries an invisible watermark, Content Seal, marking it as AI-generated. That establishes provenance but not consent: it confirms Meta's AI made the image, but it does not stop someone from using a person's face or remove images the tool has already created. How India's deepfake rules would apply: India has already faced a version of this with Grok, and its response points to how Muse Image would be treated here. * The SGI takedown regime. The IT Rules amendments of February 2026 created India's first deepfake framework, requiring platforms to label synthetically generated information (SGI) and act against unlawful SGI, with a three-hour takedown window for government orders and two hours for non-consensual intimate imagery. Content Seal speaks to the labelling duty; the generation of images of real people is what the takedown duties exist to contain. * The Grok precedent. When X's Grok let users generate sexualised images of women from December 2025, MeitY issued a notice, sought an Action Taken Report in 72 hours, and warned X it could lose Section 79 safe harbour. Secretary S. Krishnan said platforms "cannot escape their duty... simply by pleading safe harbour." * The enforcement gap. MediaNama has documented ten instances in which this enforcement failed, including Instagram telling a woman that AI-generated nude images embedded in her own reels did not violate its Community Standards. The Grok episode shows the rules react after harm rather than preventing a generation tool from operating. The framework also has blind spots. When MeitY built its NCII takedown SOP, the Madras High Court order behind it told the ministry to set out "what a victim girl must do." Instagram then kept a minor boy's obscene images online until a Rajasthan High Court order forced Meta to remove them, with the court noting it "would be fallacious to assume that such consequences are confined to one gender alone." A pattern in Meta's safeguards: Muse Image is the third Meta product in recent weeks in which a company safeguard protects the product more than the person it exposes. * Its ad review, defended as "robust," approved paid CSAM ads on Instagram in India. * Its AI glasses answer concerns over bystander recording with a capture LED that only blinks, leaving those being recorded with no way to opt out. * Muse Image answers consent with an opt-out toggle that most users will never find. If Muse Image reaches you, what you can do: The controls are limited, and mostly preventive:

Govt to examine Meta's Muse AI tool that lets users generate images from Instagram profiles: IT Secretary

The government will examine whether Meta's newly launched AI image generation tool, Muse Image, complies with India's legal framework, amid growing concerns over privacy, consent and the potential misuse of people's Instagram photos to create AI-generated images. "We will have to look at it with reference to the legal framework, and whether it is in accordance with the legal framework or not. We will examine the representations we receive," Electronics and Information Technology Secretary S Krishnan said on Thursday on the sidelines of the CII GCC Business Summit. Also Read: Meta's new Muse AI image generator sparks privacy, image-scraping concerns Krishnan's remarks come just days after Meta launched Muse Image, its most advanced AI image generation and editing model and the first media generation model developed by its Superintelligence Labs. Integrated into Meta AI across apps such as Instagram and WhatsApp, the feature allows users to generate and edit images using text prompts, sketches and even Instagram usernames. But one capability has sparked particular backlash that lets users generate AI images using photos from public Instagram profiles simply by mentioning the account's username in the prompt. The rollout has triggered concerns among users and privacy experts, who argue that people may unknowingly become training material -- or worse, subjects of AI-generated images -- without ever giving explicit consent. The criticism stems from the fact that the feature is enabled by default for public Instagram accounts. Users are included automatically unless they manually opt out. "This is a big change because it changes what having a public Instagram account means," said Prachir Singh, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research. "It used to simply mean more people could see someone's posts. Now, it also means strangers can use that person's face to create new images they never agreed to -- a risk that's especially significant for influencers and creators who rely on public accounts for their work, but also for everyday users since Meta has said it won't notify people when this happens to them," he said. Singh also warned that making AI-generated images this accessible could normalise everyday deepfakes, making it harder for people to distinguish between real and AI-generated visuals. He added that businesses using such images in advertisements could also face legal risks if they unknowingly publish someone's likeness without permission. Prabhu Ram, Vice President, Industry Research Group at CyberMedia Research (CMR), said the feature fundamentally changes what it means to have a public profile on Instagram. "Until now, a public profile largely meant visibility and discoverability. With this, it can also become source material for AI-generated content built on a person's likeness," he said. According to Ram, the opt-out-by-default approach raises questions around informed consent because most users tend to stick with default settings rather than actively reviewing privacy controls. "The risks are especially high for creators and influencers, whose face and identity are part of their commercial value. If that likeness can be freely remixed, it raises the risks of impersonation, fake endorsements, reputational harm and brand dilution," he said. Meta, however, says users remain in control of how their content is used. Also Read: Meta expands generative AI tools with Muse Image rollout The company has updated Instagram's settings to clarify that if users allow others to reuse their public content for features such as Remix, it also allows people to create AI-generated content using that material through Meta's AI products. Users can disable the feature at any time by turning off the reuse setting. Meta describes Muse Image as its most advanced image generation model yet, saying it can faithfully follow prompts, edit images with precision, combine multiple references and draw on Instagram for "social context". The company has also introduced Content Seal, an invisible watermark that remains embedded in AI-generated images even after they are cropped, compressed, resized or screenshotted. Meta says it is also testing a detection tool that allows users to verify whether an image was created using Meta AI. The launch adds to the growing debate around how generative AI tools should balance innovation with user privacy and consent. While Meta says the feature includes safeguards and gives users control over their content, the government's review could determine whether those protections are sufficient under India's existing legal framework.

New Meta feature lets anyone use your Instagram photos in AI images - here's how to opt out

Meta has launched its first AI image generator - and it has automatically enrolled Instagram accounts, meaning anyone on the internet can use your photos unless you turn off the feature. Meta's Superintelligence Labs on Tuesday introduced Muse Image, a bot meant to compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT Images 2.0 and Google's Nano Banana 2. The new model has been folded into Instagram and automatically opts-in all public accounts on Instagram - meaning anyone can simply tag your username in an AI prompt and use Muse Image to generate an image using your likeness. Instagram accounts will not be notified about content created using AI features, according to Meta - so your photos and videos could be remixed and transformed by other users without your knowledge. How to turn off the feature Instagram users with private accounts are not opted-in to the new model, so you can switch your account's status from public to private. If you'd like to keep your account public, you'll have to turn off the feature in the app's settings. The first step is to make sure your Instagram app is updated. Otherwise, the option to turn off the feature will not be available. Open the Instagram app, tap on your profile and then tap the three lines in the top-right corner of the screen, which say "Menu." Scroll to "How others can interact with you" and tap "Sharing and reuse." Below "Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta," tap the "Toggle off" button to turn off access to your posts. Switching your account to private or toggling off the feature will only prevent new images from being generated, so any AI images already created by other users with your content will not be deleted. What is Muse Image? The AI generation bot is first rolling out across the US. If users do not opt-out of Muse Image, then anyone on Instagram can create an AI-generated image using all or part of your photos, Reels and feed videos. In a blog post, Meta marketed Muse Image as a helpful tool to "design a custom event invitation, mock up a collaborative creative concept, or generate a personalized graphic." The bot can also be used "to place your pet in a famous painting or combine a selfie with a vacation photo to create a custom postcard," the company said. Meta did not immediately respond to The Post's inquiry about why public accounts are automatically opted in. Deepfake controversies Elon Musk's chatbot, Grok, is facing a class-action lawsuit and an EU privacy investigation after its AI image-generation feature allowed users to "nudify" images of real women and children on social-media platform X. Apple reportedly privately threatened to remove Grok from its App Store in January over the deepfake controversy.

Meta Rolls Out Muse Image: Check Key Features, Editing Tools, and How it Works

According to Meta, Muse Image is intended to increase the flexibility and interactivity of . Here are some of its notable characteristics: Create Pictures Based on Text Prompts: Almost any scenario can be described by users using natural language, and Muse Image will produce an image based on their descriptions. It is designed to comprehend intricate requests with numerous details. Modify Current Images: Users can upload an old photo and ask Meta AI to alter it rather than creating new ones from scratch. For instance, people can add new items, modify the lighting, and change the background or clothes. Sketch-Based Editing: The model can also alter photographs with basic sketches or annotations. Users can direct the AI to replace, eliminate, or improve specific elements of an image by drawing over them. AI-Enabled Instagram Stories Effects: More than 30 new effects enabled by will be available on Instagram Stories, helping users create amazing visual effects. Image Creation for WhatsApp Messages: Picture creation in direct conversations on WhatsApp will be integrated using Meta AI. This feature will initially roll out in some countries and then globally.

Meta's new Muse AI image generator sparks privacy, image-scraping concerns

New Delhi, Meta has announced the launch of Muse Image, touted as its most advanced AI image generator and the first media generation model developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs, but the move drew sharp criticism and user concerns around data privacy, image-scraping and consent. Worry lines have started to emerge over a feature that allows users to create AI images by clawing photos from public Instagram accounts, with just a simple tag in the prompt. Experts believe that since the feature is turned on automatically for public accounts, the 'opted-in-by-default-approach' raises some serious questions around consent, privacy and image-scraping, as unsuspecting users may come across their striking resemblance in random AI-generated images, even though they have not given any explicit permission. The risk of having an easy, everyday deepfake capability handy and accessible for millions, if not billions, of users, could make it tougher to instantly trust which images are real and which are AI-generated, leaving people more vulnerable to online impersonation, despite certain watermark safeguards announced by Meta, industry watchers say. Meta said Muse Image is its most advanced image generation model yet and that "it follows instructions faithfully, edits with precision, composes from multiple references, and draws on Instagram for social context". According to Meta, it also brings agentic tool use capabilities and integrates with Muse Spark. "We're excited to launch Muse Image and preview Muse Video, the first media-generation models developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs," Meta said. Muse Image is available today across the Meta AI app and on meta. ai, Instagram Stories in the US, and WhatsApp in limited countries, and is coming soon to Facebook. Muse Video is also coming soon to creators and Meta AI, the company said. Meta further says Muse Image edits images with precision, changing exactly what the user asks for. It can follow a variety of instructions, Meta said, sharing examples of how the tool can restore an image, clear up a blanket of fog in another to reveal a valley below, or support more whimsical prompts like changing the petals of a flower to a rainbow gradient. Muse Image includes a content seal, an invisible watermarking system that Meta says will help people verify whether an image is AI-generated. Images created by Muse Image in the Meta AI app and on meta. ai carry a hidden provenance signal that stays intact, even when cropped, compressed, resized, or screenshotted. The content seal will be extended to video soon. Meta said it is previewing a detection tool that lets people check whether an image carries a Content Seal watermark, providing an initial way to help them better understand if an image was made with Meta AI. Prachir Singh, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, noted that Meta's new Muse Image tool lets users type someone's Instagram username into an AI prompt and generate fake pictures of that person, that is pulled from their public photos, without asking for permission first. The feature is turned on automatically for public accounts, which means users are already included unless they go into their settings and manually turn it off, he added. "This is a big change because it changes what having a public Instagram account means. It used to simply mean more people could see someone's posts. Now it also means strangers can use that person's face to create new images they never agreed to - a risk that's especially significant for influencers and creators who rely on public accounts for their work, but also for everyday users, since Meta has said it won't notify people when this happens to them," Singh said. Legally, if a business uses one of these AI-generated images in an ad and it accidentally includes someone's face, that business (and not Meta) is likely to face lawsuits or backlash, he further said. "And more broadly, handing this kind of easy, everyday deepfake capability to billions of users could make it much harder to trust that photos are real, and much easier for people to be harassed or impersonated online," Singh cautioned. Prabhu Ram, Vice President - Industry Research Group at CyberMedia Research (CMR), says Meta's move changes the meaning of a public profile in a significant way. Up until now, a public profile largely meant visibility and discoverability; with this, it can also become source material for AI-generated content built on a person's likeness, he said. "That shifts the risk from simply being seen online to being repurposed without clear consent or control. The fact that this is enabled by default makes it more problematic, because opt-out models typically benefit from user inertia rather than informed user choice," he said. The risks are especially high for creators and influencers, whose face and identity are not just personal attributes but part of their commercial value. "If that likeness can be freely remixed, it raises the risks of impersonation, fake endorsements, reputational harm, and brand dilution, with real financial and legal consequences. As these capabilities begin to extend into automated ad tools, the liability question may not stop with the advertiser alone if platform design is seen to have enabled misuse at scale," he further explained. While this may not trigger a wholesale move away from public social platforms, users may become "far more selective" about what they share publicly. "More importantly, non-consensual identity manipulation could become normalised, with wider consequences for trust in online content," Ram added.

What is Meta's Muse Image? How to use Meta's new AI image generator, what it can do, where it's available and is it free?

Meta has officially introduced Muse Image, its first image-generation model developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL). The new AI model is integrated into Meta AI and is designed to create, edit and transform images using natural language prompts, photos, sketches and annotations, the tech giant said in a blog post. The launch marks Meta's latest push into generative AI, bringing advanced image creation tools to apps such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook and Messenger. ALSO READ: Connor Murphy death rumours What is Muse Image Meta?Muse Image Meta is an AI-powered image generation model built by Meta Superintelligence Labs, the company's AI division focused on developing next-generation artificial intelligence systems. ALSO READ: Who is Connor Murphy? Unlike traditional image generators that rely only on text prompts, Muse Image can understand more detailed instructions, work with uploaded photos and let users make edits by drawing directly on an image or adding annotations. The model is integrated into the Meta AI chatbot, allowing users to generate and edit images without leaving Meta's apps. What can Muse Image do?According to Meta, Muse Image is designed to make AI image creation more interactive and flexible. Some of its key features include: Generate images from text prompts Users can describe almost any scene in natural language, and Muse Image will create an image based on those instructions. It is built to understand complex prompts with multiple details. Edit existing photos Instead of generating images from scratch, users can upload an existing photo and ask Meta AI to modify it. For example, they can change the background, adjust clothing, alter lighting or add new objects. Sketch-based editing One of the standout features is the ability to edit images using simple sketches or annotations. Users can draw over parts of an image and instruct the AI to replace, remove or enhance those areas. AI effects for Instagram Stories Muse Image will power more than 30 new AI effects for Instagram Stories, allowing users to create stylized and animated visual effects directly within the app. Image generation in WhatsApp chats Meta is also bringing image generation into direct conversations with Meta AI on WhatsApp. Initially, the feature will roll out in select countries before expanding more widely. How to use Muse Image MetaUsing Muse Image is designed to be straightforward through Meta AI. * Open Meta AI in a supported Meta app, such as WhatsApp or Instagram. * Enter a text prompt describing the image you want to create. * If you want to edit an existing image, upload a photo. * Use sketches or annotations if you want to highlight specific areas for editing. * Review the generated image and continue refining it with additional prompts if needed. As Meta expands support, Muse Image will also become available in Facebook and Messenger. Is Muse Image free?Yes, but with some limitations. Meta says basic access to Muse Image through Meta AI will be free. However, users who want additional image creation capabilities or advanced features will need a paid Meta subscription. Where is Muse Image available?At launch, Meta is rolling out Muse Image in select countries through Meta AI. The company says availability will expand over time, with support coming to more regions and additional Meta platforms, including Facebook and Messenger. How to directly edit a photo?"To make a change, just tap the markup icon on your creation to circle, sketch, or annotate edits right on top of the photo. Since Meta AI remembers the full context of your conversation, you can keep refining by swapping styles, adding elements, or tweaking details -- all without starting from scratch," Meta said. What is Muse Video?Alongside Muse Image, Meta also announced an early preview of Muse Video, an AI model designed to generate videos from prompts. The feature is still in preview but signals Meta's plans to expand beyond AI image generation into AI-powered video creation. The launch of Muse image places Meta more directly in competition with other AI companies offering image-generation tools, while integrating those capabilities into apps already used by billions of people. By combining text prompts, photo editing and sketch-based controls inside Meta AI, the company aims to make AI-powered image creation more accessible for everyday users.

Meta expands generative AI tools with Muse Image rollout

Meta Platforms said on Tuesday it is rolling out Muse Image, its first image-generation model from Meta Superintelligence Labs, as the Facebook owner expands generative AI tools across its apps. The company said Muse Image, which is integrated into its ⁠Meta ⁠AI chatbot, can interpret complex prompts, use photos as inputs and let users edit generated images directly through sketches or annotations. Here are some details: Muse Image will power more than 30 new AI effects for Instagram Stories and enable image generation in ⁠direct chats with Meta AI on WhatsApp, initially in select countries, the company said. Meta plans ⁠to expand Muse Image to more countries and integrate it into Facebook and Messenger, the company said. While basic use of Muse Image with Meta AI is free, additional creation capabilities will be available through Meta's subscription plans, the company said. In April, the company launched Muse Spark, the first text-and-reasoning AI model from the Meta Superintelligence Labs team it assembled last year to ⁠catch up with rivals in the AI race. Advanced AI models are at the center of the AI boom, powering autonomous tasks such as writing software code, generating content and handling customer support inquiries. The company also announced an early preview of Muse Video, its video generation model.

Meta discontinues Muse Image AI feature after backlash, says it missed the mark

The company admitted that the feature "missed the mark" and confirmed that the feature is "no longer available." Meta has removed its newly announced AI feature that allowed users to alter images from public Instagram after it faced strong criticism over privacy concerns. The company admitted that it "missed the mark" and confirmed that the feature is "no longer available." The feature was introduced as part of Muse Image, Meta's new AI image generation tool. Instagram's parent company rolled out the tool earlier this week. Keep reading for the details. The Muse Image feature allowed people to use the Meta AI chatbot to create fake or altered images using content posted on Instagram. Users could tag public Instagram accounts and use content from those profiles to generate new AI images. The person whose content was used may not have known about it or given permission. The biggest concern was that public Instagram accounts were included in the feature by default. Users had to opt out if they did not want their content or likeness to be used. Also read: Apple accuses OpenAI of stealing trade secrets, ChatGPT maker responds Following the backlash, Meta has decided to remove the feature. The company said, "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." "We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available." The decision to remove the feature has been welcomed by Hollywood union Sag-Aftra. The union described Meta's decision as a "win," according to BBC. Earlier, Sag-Aftra had asked its members and all Instagram users to take steps to protect their likeness. The union said Meta had made an "utter miscalculation of public sentiment regarding the obvious dangers and harms inherent in such use." Also read: OpenAI accused of misleading court over ChatGPT data in lawsuit filed by publishers: Here is what we know Privacy International, a London-based human rights group, also criticised the feature. The organisation told the BBC that it was "the latest sign AI companies see people's images and data as raw material to be exploited." While Meta has pulled the Muse Image following user feedback, the situation highlights growing concerns around AI tools, privacy and how companies use people's online content.

How to use Muse Image AI to create and edit images

Meta has recently launched a new AI tool called Muse Image. It lets you create and edit pictures using plain text, no design skills needed. You just type what you want, and the AI tool does its magic. With the new tool you can generate new images, fix old photos, swap out objects, or turn a rough sketch into something polished. Aside from that, the tool also brings fun AI effects to Instagram Stories. Whether you want to build a picture from scratch or change small details in one you already have, Muse Image makes it simple. Here is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to use the Muse Image AI tool. Things to know Here are some of the things you need to know about the new Muse Image AI: * Muse Image works inside Meta AI on apps like WhatsApp and Instagram. * You can type a prompt to generate a fresh image or upload a photo and describe changes like a new background, different lighting, new clothing, or added objects. * Instagram Stories gets more than 30 AI effects to play with too. * Meta AI keeps track of your earlier prompts, so you can keep adjusting the same image without starting over. * Basic features are free, though some advanced tools may need a paid Meta subscription. * The feature is rolling out in select countries first, with Facebook and Messenger support coming later. Also read: Microsoft reveals severance benefits after layoffs, offers up to 39 weeks salary How to use Muse Image AI Follow the simple steps below to use the Muse Image AI: 1. Open Meta AI inside WhatsApp or Instagram. 2. Type a prompt describing the image you want. 3. To edit a photo, upload it and explain the changes you want made. 4. Use the markup tool to circle or sketch the exact area you want changed. 5. Check the result and keep refining it with more prompts until it looks right. Also read: After 37 years at Microsoft, Xbox VP shares emotional message after losing his job Muse Image AI: Image prompts to try Here are some easy prompts I tried to test the AI tool with the results I got: Create new images Create a peaceful mountain sunrise with a wooden cabin beside a lake. Sketch-based edits Make the green stars look like realistic stars hanging from the ceiling, and ensure they match the overall mood and aesthetics of the scene. Instagram Story effects Turn this image into a colourful comic book-style image. What do I feel about the new Muse Image AI? After testing the tool for a considerable amount of time I feel like the tool lacked multiple sections. First of all, the image created by the tool was not satisfactory, and I had to generate multiple iterations of it just to get a decent-looking image that comes somewhere near my prompt. In comparison, when I gave the same image and the same prompt to ChatGPT it did a fantastic job. Aside from that, the AI tool lacks the ability to deal with multiple images in a single chat. To test that, I tried giving the tool a second image in the continuation of the chat, but it used the image I uploaded initially, completely ignoring the image that I uploaded next. Even when I tried re-uploading the image, it used the 1st image and created an image that was way out of context.

Meta launches Muse Image AI with advanced editing, web search and Instagram integration: How it works

Muse Image is now available in Meta AI, Instagram Stories (US) and select WhatsApp markets, with wider rollout planned soon. Meta has finally introduced its Muse Image, its first image generation model developed by the newly formed Meta Superintelligence Labs. The company has also previewed Muse Video, a new AI powered video generation model. It is expected to roll out to creators and Meta AI users in the coming months. Meta is expanding its AI capabilities across Meta AI, Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook too. The Muse Image is now available via the Meta AI app and Meta.ai, while users in the US can also access it via Instagram Stories. WhatsApp support has begun rolling out in select countries. Muse Image brings smarter AI-powered image generation Unlike the regular models that generate the images directly from prompts, Muse Image uses an agent based system capable of reasoning before producing an image. Meta says the model can search the web for up-to-date information, execute code to generate accurate QR codes, charts and graphics, and refine its own outputs. The users can also do advanced image editing including modifying specific parts of an image without affecting the rest of the composition. It can also combine multiple reference images in a single prompt and the users can merge people, objects, locations and artistic styles into one scene. The company also claims that the model also improves with additional inference time by spending more time reasoning instead of relying solely on multiple image attempts. Muse Video and new AI tools The social media giant also announced the Muse Video, which is built on the same foundation as the Muse Image. The company says the upcoming model focuses on better prompt adherence, improved visual quality and native audio generation. The model is currently under testing. The company has also introduced the Content Seal, an invisible watermark embedded into AI-generated images. According to the company, the watermark remains intact even after cropping, resizing or compressing an image, helping users identify AI-generated content. It will also power several new creative features across Meta's apps, including AI-generated Instagram Story effects, image generation inside WhatsApp chats, and room redesign suggestions using products from the web and Facebook Marketplace. Meta says Muse Image is available free for everyday use, while higher usage limits will be offered through its subscription plans.