Meta announced on July 10 that it has removed a newly launched artificial intelligence image tool after receiving significant criticism about privacy and consent. The company said the feature - which allowed the generation and editing of images using publicly available Instagram photos - has been taken offline because it did not meet expectations from users and other stakeholders.
The functionality, called Muse Image, was introduced earlier in the week by Meta Superintelligence Labs and was embedded in the firm’s Meta AI chatbot. Muse Image could accept existing photos as inputs and offered users the ability to modify generated images through direct sketches.
Meta framed the launch as an attempt to provide a "useful creative tool" while enabling people to control whether their public content could be referenced by the system. In a company statement, 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,"and added:
"We’ve heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it’s no longer available,"confirming the decision to discontinue the capability.
Public reaction to Muse Image quickly turned critical, centered on two main complaints: that the feature used public Instagram photos as source material and that it had been enabled by default rather than requiring explicit opt-in. Vocal criticism included comments from Emmy-winning actor Hannah Einbinder, who posted on Instagram that the feature had been turned on automatically and urged fellow users to disable it.
The actors’ union SAG-AFTRA also publicly urged members and other Instagram users to opt out of the feature, stating that anything short of a clear and conspicuous opt-in was unacceptable. The union 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,"underscoring the concern among media professionals about potential nonconsensual use of their images.
After Meta’s announcement that Muse Image would be discontinued, SAG-AFTRA welcomed the decision. A union spokesperson commented:
"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,"signaling approval of Meta’s reversal.
The episode highlights the increasing scrutiny technology companies face over how AI features interact with content that users share publicly. In this case, the immediate backlash from both individual creators and an industry union appeared to play a direct role in the rapid removal of the capability.
Context note: The company described Muse Image as its first image-generation model from Meta Superintelligence Labs and integrated into the Meta AI chatbot. The feature’s ability to ingest photos and allow sketch-based edits was central to both its functionality and the concerns raised.