Meta is facing backlash over its new AI tool Muse Image, which can generate images using public Instagram profile pictures without user consent, according to the BBC. The tool is one of many text-to-image generators available to the public, capable of creating images from simple written prompts.

Public Concerns and Privacy Fears

Muse Image is accessible through the Meta AI app, web browser, WhatsApp, and Instagram Stories for users in the United States. While Meta claims users can opt out even with public accounts, Donald Campbell, advocacy director at tech justice non-profit Foxglove, called the feature 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, while “It is hard to see why Mark Zuckerberg thinks facilitating yet more of this creepy image manipulation is a good idea.”

Regulatory Scrutiny and Criticism

The feature is likely to face increased scrutiny as regulators and campaigners raise concerns about images; Ofcom is currently investigating X over Grok’s role in creating and sharing non-consensual AI-altered images of real people. Privacy International also criticized the feature, saying it was “the latest sign AI companies see people’s images and data as raw material to be exploited.”

“Pulling real users into generated photos without explicit consent is a privacy landmine waiting to detonate,” one user wrote on X. Meta stated that users can opt out of their images being used by adjusting settings in Instagram’s menu, selecting “Sharing and Reuse,” and switching off the option to allow reuse for posts and reels. These settings are only visible for public accounts; private accounts are already protected by default.

Meta’s AI Market Expansion

Meta’s entry into the AI image generation market is not unique, as several similar tools are already available — However, the integration with Instagram makes it particularly powerful. To test the feature. A BBC reporter asked Muse AI to generate an image of them driving a car, and the tool produced a realistic result.

In a blog post. Meta described the tool as using “advanced reasoning to understand complex prompts, cleanly blending multiple photos into high-quality creations you can download and share anywhere.” Users can also choose from presets and suggested prompts or sketch edits directly onto images. The tool is free for “everyday creation,” but heavier users can access additional usage through one of Meta’s subscription plans.

Meta also announced that Muse Image will soon be available on Facebook and Messenger and can be used by advertisers through another tool. A video-generation version is reportedly in development.