Instagram's New AI Feature Sparks Outrage, Promptly Axed

Meta has pulled the plug on its artificial intelligence feature, Muse Image, just days after its launch following widespread criticism over privacy issues. The feature allowed users to generate images based on public Instagram accounts. The company stated its initial goal was to provide a useful creative tool while giving users control over whether their public content could be referenced by the AI. ‘We intended to provide a helpful creative tool and give people control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way,’ Meta said in a statement. However, the company acknowledged the feature was poorly received. ‘We have heard the feedback that this feature did not meet expectations, and it is no longer available,’ Meta added. Muse Image, developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs, was the parent company’s first image generation model. Integrated into the Meta AI chatbot, it allowed users to create images using photos as input and edit the results directly via sketches. Shortly after its release, the feature drew sharp criticism for potential privacy violations, particularly because it was activated automatically, requiring users to manually opt out. Emmy-winning actress Hannah Einbinder, known for the series Hacks, criticised the feature on Instagram, urging users to disable it. The SAG-AFTRA union, representing actors and media professionals, also called on its members and other Instagram users to opt out, stating, ‘Any use of an Instagram user’s image other than through clear and unambiguous consent is unacceptable. This is a massive misreading of public sentiment regarding the harms and impacts inherent in such use.’ Following Meta’s decision to discontinue the feature, the union welcomed the move, calling it a responsible action.