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Meta has introduced its first AI image generation model developed by its Superintelligence Labs division. The “Muse Image” model now powers image creation features across the Meta AI app, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and will soon be rolled out to Facebook and Messenger, the company announced on Tuesday. However, the launch has drawn criticism, as the same AI tool, “Muse Image,” is capable of generating images using other people’s profile pictures without notifying them. Like many publicly available text-to-image models, it can create images from a few simple lines of written prompts. “Muse Image” is currently accessible through the Meta AI app, the web, WhatsApp, and Instagram Stories for users in the US.
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According to Meta, users can @ mention other Instagram accounts in “Muse Image” prompts, enabling the AI model to use their likeness when generating images. The company states that “tagging a username lets Meta AI use public photos to build a visual,” while adding that users have controls over how their content is reused for AI purposes. Although Meta says people with public accounts can opt out of having their images used, Donald Campbell, advocacy director at the non-profit Foxglove, told the BBC the feature was an “obvious recipe for disaster”. “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.”
The feature is expected to come under increased scrutiny as regulators and advocacy groups continue to voice concerns over AI-generated images. Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, is currently investigating X over the role of Grok in generating and distributing non-consensual AI-altered images of real people. While numerous AI tools already enable users to create images from text prompts, making the space highly competitive, Meta’s integration of the technology with Instagram sets it apart and gives it a significant advantage.
Meta said users can opt out through a dedicated setting that is separate from their account privacy controls, even if their account is public. To disable the feature, users need to open Instagram’s settings, navigate to “Sharing and Reuse,” and turn off “Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta” for posts and reels. These options are only available to users with public accounts, as content from private accounts cannot be shared by default.
Meta said the tool is free for “everyday creation,” while users who require higher usage limits can access additional capacity through one of its subscription plans. The company also announced that “Muse Image” will soon be rolled out to Facebook and Messenger, as well as another platform that will allow advertisers to use the tool. In addition, a video-generation version is reportedly under development.
