Meta just launched Muse Image, which lets anyone create AI-generated images using other people’s public Instagram photos.
And those people often don’t even know it’s happening. Privacy-focused people are reasonably concerned.
Muse Image
Muse Image is a text-to-image tool that creates pictures from short text descriptions. Then Meta took it a step further by allowing the tool to scrape photos from Instagram profiles of real people.
Then it blends the results into new, AI-made scenes. Users can access Muse Image through the Meta AI app, the web, WhatsApp, and inside Instagram Stories.
But right now, it’s only live for people in the US. Meta describes the tool as smart and flexible.
In a company blog post, Meta said the tool uses “advanced reasoning to understand complex prompts, seamlessly blending multiple photos into high-quality creations you can download and share anywhere.”
Users can pick from ready-made prompt ideas. They can also sketch directly onto photos to guide the AI.
The basic version is free, but Meta said people who want heavier use can pay for one of its subscription plans.
Privacy Breach
Your public Instagram photos could end up in someone else’s AI creation, and you might never find out.
Donald Campbell works at Foxglove, a tech justice nonprofit. He didn’t hold back his concerns, calling the feature an “obvious recipe for disaster.”
He also said harmful, non-consensual AI-altered images have already caused real damage on social platforms over the past year. Campbell questioned why Meta would add to that problem.
Privacy International told the BBC that it feels like part of a bigger issue where AI companies treat people’s images and data as raw material to exploit.
A X user person wrote that pulling real users into generated photos without clear consent is a privacy risk waiting to blow up.
Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, is currently digging into X in an investigation centered on Grok, X’s AI chatbot.
Officials want to know its role in creating and spreading non-consensual AI-altered images of real people.
Also read: EU to Ban Sexualized AI Deepfakes
How to Opt Out, If You Want To
Meta says there’s a way out. Turning off your account’s general privacy settings won’t do it alone. You need a separate, specific setting.
Go to Instagram’s settings menu. Tap “Sharing and Reuse.” Then switch off the option labeled “Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta.”
This applies to both posts and reels. One thing to note is that this setting only shows up if your account is public.
Private accounts are already protected. Their content can’t be shared this way in the first place.
Still, many argue the burden shouldn’t fall on users. They say people shouldn’t have to dig through menus just to keep their photos out of AI-generated content.
