Meta has officially discontinued a new artificial intelligence feature on Instagram that allowed users to generate images by referencing public accounts. The decision comes just three days after the tool, known as Muse Image, was introduced as part of a broader rollout of AI-powered creative capabilities. The feature had faced immediate and widespread criticism from users, privacy advocates, and entertainment industry organizations over how it handled personal likenesses.
The tool allowed users to @-mention public Instagram profiles within the Meta AI chatbot, which would then use photos from those accounts as visual reference material. A primary point of contention was that Meta had enabled this feature by default for all public accounts belonging to users over the age of 18. Those who wished to prevent their photos from being used in this manner were required to navigate to their account settings and manually opt out, a process many users found difficult or obscure.
Following the backlash, Meta acknowledged that the implementation of the feature did not meet expectations. In a statement, the company noted that while its intent was to provide a useful creative tool, the feedback indicated that the feature missed the mark. Consequently, the ability to reference public Instagram accounts for image generation has been removed, though other AI-powered creative tools remain available on the platform.
The move was welcomed by groups such as the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), both of which had raised concerns regarding the use of digital likenesses without explicit consent. As AI technology continues to evolve, this incident highlights the ongoing tension between companies seeking to innovate and the public demand for clear, consent-based control over personal content.