Meta’s Muse Image AI Feature Met with Backlash, Removed from Instagram

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has faced a significant backlash from users over its new Muse Image AI feature. The feature, which allowed users to generate images by tagging public Instagram accounts, has been removed from the platform due to concerns over privacy and the automatic opt-in for users.

According to a statement from Meta, the company had intended to provide a useful creative tool for users and to give them control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way. However, the feature ultimately ‘missed the mark,’ and Meta has decided to remove it from the platform.

The Muse Image AI feature allowed users to generate images by tagging public or unprotected Instagram feeds. Once a user tagged a public or unprotected feed, the AI generator would create its own images or ‘remixes’ of the original content, which would then be available online permanently.

The removal of the feature comes after Creative Artists Agency (CAA) called for Meta to implement guardrails for Muse, citing concerns over the potential misuse of users’ likenesses and work. CAA has rolled out its own AI Vault program to archive its members’ likenesses forever, but the agency believes that users should have control over how their likenesses and work are used.

CAA spokesperson stated, ‘Artists deserve to decide if and how their likeness and work is used, with consent and the ability to set their own terms. This means letting creators impose restrictions, monitor usage, and prevent unauthorized endorsements or exploitation.’

Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) also weighed in on the issue, providing instructions on how to opt-out of the Muse Image tool. The union stated, ‘Take action to protect your likeness.’

Meta had previously downplayed the privacy concerns surrounding the feature, stating that private accounts and those belonging to users under 18 were automatically excluded, and adult users with public accounts could opt-out with just a couple of clicks. However, the company has now acknowledged that the feature ‘missed the mark’ and has removed it from the platform.

The use of AI in Hollywood continues to be a hot-button topic, with SAG-AFTRA endorsing the Trump administration’s AI policy framework. The framework calls for Congress to enact legislation that includes parental controls, intellectual property rights protection, First Amendment protections, expanding AI workforce development, allowing data centers to generate their own power, and removing legal barriers that limit AI innovation.

Meta’s decision to remove the Muse Image AI feature from Instagram marks a significant shift in the company’s approach to AI-powered features. The move is likely to be seen as a response to growing concerns over the potential misuse of AI technology and the need for greater transparency and control over how users’ likenesses and work are used.