Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced the discontinuation of its recently launched artificial intelligence (AI) image generation feature, Muse Image. The tool, introduced just this Tuesday, allowed users to create images using content scraped from public Instagram accounts, sparking immediate and widespread criticism over privacy implications.
The feature, developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs and integrated into the Meta AI chatbot, permitted users to input photos and then edit generated images directly. However, its automatic opt-in mechanism quickly drew fire from users and organisations alike, who argued it represented a significant overreach into personal data without explicit consent.
Among the prominent critics was Emmy-winning actor Hannah Einbinder, known for her role in 'Hacks', who took to Instagram to highlight the automatic activation of the feature and urged her followers to disable it. Her concerns were echoed by SAG-AFTRA, the influential union representing actors and other media professionals, which strongly advised its members and other Instagram users to opt out.
SAG-AFTRA released a statement on Thursday, asserting that anything less than a clear and conspicuous opt-in for such extensive use of user images was 'unacceptable' and a 'miscalculation of public sentiment'. The union highlighted the 'obvious dangers and harms inherent in such use', particularly concerning the potential for non-consensual digital replicas.
Following Meta's swift decision to remove the feature, SAG-AFTRA welcomed the move. A spokesperson for the union commended Meta for its 'responsible' action, reiterating that a feature encouraging behaviour with 'the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all' was unwise. This reversal underscores the growing pressure on major technology companies to prioritise user control and transparency regarding how AI features utilise publicly shared content.