Meta pulled the plug on its brand-new AI image generation feature Friday, just three days after launch, following a fierce privacy backlash that drew condemnation from Hollywood's largest actors' union and thousands of Instagram users.
The feature, called Muse Image, was Meta's first image-generation model from its newly formed Meta Superintelligence Labs. Launched Tuesday, it allowed users to generate AI images using public Instagram accounts as input, integrated directly into Meta's AI chatbot.
"Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way," Meta said in a statement. "We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available."
Instant Backlash
The controversy erupted almost immediately after launch. Users discovered the feature was enabled by default as an automatic opt-in, meaning any public Instagram account could be used by the AI image generator without explicit consent.
Emmy-winning actor Hannah Einbinder, known for the hit series "Hacks," publicly criticized the feature on Instagram, warning users it had been activated automatically and urging them to turn it off.
SAG-AFTRA, the powerful union representing actors and media professionals with 160,000 members, issued a stark warning to its members and all Instagram users on Thursday, urging them to opt out.
"Anything other than a clear and conspicuous opt-in for these types of uses of Instagram users' images is unacceptable, and an utter miscalculation of public sentiment regarding the obvious dangers and harms inherent in such use," the union said.
Following Meta's decision to remove the feature, SAG-AFTRA welcomed the move. "With the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise. We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the responsible thing to do," a union spokesperson said.
A Pattern of AI Missteps
The abrupt reversal reflects mounting pressure on technology companies to give users clear control over how their publicly shared content is used by AI features. The incident echoes previous controversies Meta has faced over AI and privacy, including the shutdown of a similar app in March after complaints about copyright issues.
The debacle also comes amid a broader industry scrutiny of AI training practices. Meta itself recently faced separate criticism when its AI image detector failed to identify some of its own AI-generated images.
**What Was Muse Image?**
Muse Image was the first public-facing product from Meta Superintelligence Labs, the company's new AI research division. The feature could use photos as input and let users edit generated images directly through sketches. It was designed to compete with similar offerings from OpenAI, Google, and others — but the speed of its retreat underscores the sensitive nerve that AI-generated imagery has touched when it involves real people's likenesses.
As of Friday, the feature is no longer accessible on Instagram.
