Meta has pulled the plug on a feature of a recently launched artificial intelligence (AI) tool following criticism that it made Instagram accounts fodder for use in creating AI-generated images.
The move on July 10 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 AI 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 it's 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 was also quick to raise concerns about the image-generation feature.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) urged its members to change the settings on their Instagram accounts 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 behaviour is unwise,” the union said. "We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the right thing to do.” – AP
