Key facts
- Meta launched Muse Image, an AI image generation tool integrated into its apps.
- The feature enables users to create AI images using content from public Instagram profiles.
- Users are not notified when their photos are used by Muse Image.
- Privacy advocates cite concerns over consent, potential misuse, and harassment.
- Users can disable the feature by adjusting their 'Sharing and reuse' settings.
- Meta has a history of privacy issues, including a $5 billion FTC fine in 2019.
Meta has launched "Muse Image," a new AI image generation feature integrated into its applications, which allows users to create original images and edit existing photos. A key controversy surrounds the feature's ability to generate AI images using photos from public Instagram accounts without explicit user consent or notification.
Users can opt out of this functionality by navigating to their profile, selecting 'Sharing and reuse,' and toggling off the option to 'Allow people to create with and reuse your content' for both posts and reels. This feature arrives amid a broader trend of AI integration into social media platforms, raising concerns about privacy and transparency.
Public skepticism towards AI is significant, with a Pew Research Center survey indicating 35% of respondents are more concerned than excited about its growing use. Meta's own history with user privacy, including a $5 billion FTC fine in 2019 related to data misuse and the Cambridge Analytica scandal, has further fueled distrust surrounding Muse Image.