Meta pulls Muse Image feature after Instagram privacy backlash

New Delhi: Meta has withdrawn a controversial Instagram AI feature that allowed people to generate images using photos from public Instagram accounts, following widespread criticism over privacy concerns. The feature was introduced earlier this week as part of the launch of Muse Image, Meta's new AI image generation tool developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs. It allowed users to create AI-generated images by tagging public Instagram accounts whose photos would be used as a reference. The feature did not notify account holders when their public images were used in this way, prompting criticism from users, privacy advocates and technology commentators. Following the backlash, Meta announced on Friday that it had removed the feature. "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. We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available," the company said in a blog post. The controversy comes amid growing concerns over the use of artificial intelligence on social media platforms. Critics have warned that AI tools can be misused to create manipulated or explicit images without people's knowledge or consent, particularly involving women and public figures.