During a recent podcast appearance, Instagram head Adam Mosseri insisted that if you don’t like AI, “you shouldn’t have it in your feed.”
But will Instagram ever make it that simple for users to avoid seeing—or even appearing in—AI content? After the unveiling of Meta’s new Muse Image model, creators and industry organizations are more skeptical than ever.
Meta announced the launch of Muse Image in a July 7 blog post, which described the text-to-image tool as “our most advanced image generation model yet” and noted that it “follows instructions faithfully, edits with precision, composes from multiple references, and draws on Instagram for social context.” The blog post also offered a preview at an upcoming model called Muse Video.
According to Meta, Muse Image allows creators to “@-mention Instagram accounts in the Meta AI app to bring specific Instagram profiles right into your images.” Users who don’t want their likeness or content used in AI-generated images will either have to manually opt out or make their profiles private.
According to The New York Times, those who don’t opt out will not be notified if their profiles are used to generate AI content.
“Whether you want to design a custom event invitation, mock up a collaborative creative concept, or generate a personalized graphic, tagging a username lets Meta AI use public photos to build a visual that’s ready to post.” — Meta
The backlash against Muse Image’s launch has been swift and wide-ranging. Privacy International told BBC that the tool is “the latest sign AI companies see people’s images and data as raw material to be exploited,” while CAA confirmed that it has “raised our concerns with Meta on behalf of our clients, voicing our disapproval and perspective on the need for a more responsible approach.”
“No one’s name, image, likeness, voice or creative work should be used by any third party, including AI models, without clear, documented consent,” the agency said in a statement. “We call on Meta to make protection the default on Muse Image, not the exception, and enable individuals to opt-in if they want to allow usage of their image or likeness for AI content creation.”
SAG-AFTRA voiced similar sentiments on X, where it urged “all Instagram users” to “take action to protect your likeness” and offered instructions on how to “dig into the app’s setting” to opt out of Muse Image generation.
Meta’s response to the public outcry over its latest AI tool has been lackluster. A spokesperson for the company reassured critics that Muse Image was built “with strong controls and safety guardrails from day one. Private accounts and those belonging to users under 18 are automatically excluded and adult users with public accounts can opt out with just a couple clicks.”
Meta’s pledge to “take action against any contact that violates our community standards” is unlikely to soothe mounting privacy concerns related to its handling of user data. The company is currently facing a $1.4 trillion legal challenge from attorney generals in California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey based on its alleged “deceptive” data practices, while creators and publishers have taken the tech giant to court over claims that it used copyrighted materials for AI training.
If Meta hopes to avoid further scrutiny, it may want to consider pivoting to an opt-in system for the release of Muse Video—but given the company’s track record, we’re not holding our breath.
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