The feature, called Muse Image, is available through the Meta AI app and website, as well as on WhatsApp and Instagram Stories for U.S. users. It lets users generate AI images from text prompts while incorporating images from public Instagram accounts without first seeking consent from the account holder, unless those users have disabled the feature through Meta’s opt-out controls.
Meta Platforms is facing criticism from privacy advocates over a new artificial intelligence image-generation tool that allows users to create images using other people’s public Instagram profile pictures without consent, adding to scrutiny of how AI companies use personal data.
The feature, called Muse Image, is available through the Meta AI app and website, as well as on WhatsApp and Instagram Stories for U.S. users. It lets users generate AI images from text prompts while incorporating images from public Instagram accounts unless users opt out through a separate setting.
The launch comes as regulators worldwide increase scrutiny of AI-generated images and the use of personal data by technology companies. Britain’s communications regulator, Ofcom, is currently investigating X over Grok’s role in creating and sharing non-consensual AI-generated images of real people.
Meta said users with public Instagram accounts can prevent their content from being reused for AI features by disabling a dedicated setting under the app’s “Sharing and Reuse” menu. Private accounts are excluded from the feature by default.
Donald Campbell, advocacy director at tech justice non-profit Foxglove, said the tool could expose users to abuse.
“We’ve already seen a catalogue of harms from non-consensual AI-altered images on social platforms just in the past year,” he said.
“It is hard to see why Mark Zuckerberg thinks facilitating yet more of this creepy image manipulation is a good idea.”
Privacy International also criticised the feature, saying it was “the latest sign AI companies see people’s images and data as raw material to be exploited.”
Meta said in a blog post that Muse Image uses “advanced reasoning to understand complex prompts, seamlessly blending multiple photos into high-quality creations you can download and share anywhere.”
The company said users can choose from preset styles and suggested prompts, sketch edits directly onto images, and download or share the results. While the tool is free for everyday use, heavier users can access additional usage through one of Meta’s subscription plans.
Meta said Muse Image will also be rolled out to Facebook and Messenger and integrated into another tool for advertisers. The company is also developing a video-generation version.
The launch expands Meta’s push into generative AI, where it competes with image-generation tools from rivals including OpenAI, Google and Adobe, while raising fresh questions over consent and the use of publicly available user content for AI-generated media.
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