Meta's Muse Image Generator Automatically Opts In Instagram Accounts

Meta has introduced its first AI image generator, Muse Image, which automatically enrolls all public Instagram accounts. This feature allows any internet user to incorporate others' photos into AI-generated images by tagging their username in a prompt.

Muse Image, developed by Meta's Superintelligence Labs, is designed to compete with tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT Images 2.0 and Google's Nano Banana 2. The tool is currently rolling out in the United States.

Instagram users will not receive notifications when their content is used to create AI images. Meta marketed Muse Image as a tool for tasks such as designing custom invitations, mocking up creative concepts, or generating personalized graphics. Examples provided include placing a pet in a famous painting or combining a selfie with a vacation photo for a custom postcard.

Users with private Instagram accounts are not automatically opted into the feature. Public account holders who wish to retain their account's public status must manually disable the feature through the app's settings. To do so, users need to ensure their Instagram app is updated, then navigate to their profile, tap the menu icon (three lines), and select "Sharing and reuse" under "How others can interact with you." Toggling off the "Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta" option will prevent new AI images from being generated using their content.

Disabling the feature or switching to a private account will only affect future image generation. AI images that have already been created using a user's content will not be deleted.

The launch comes amidst growing scrutiny of AI image generators. Elon Musk's chatbot, Grok, is facing a class-action lawsuit and an EU privacy investigation over its image generation capabilities, which reportedly allowed users to create explicit images of real individuals.