Meta said Friday it is discontinuing an AI feature that let users generate images using public Instagram accounts, just days after rolling it out — a rapid reversal that came amid mounting criticism from talent agencies, performer unions, and privacy advocates.
What the Feature Did
The tool, called Muse Image, was introduced earlier in the week as Meta's first image generation model built by its dedicated Meta Superintelligence Labs unit. Meta pitched it as a way to "turn your ideas into high-quality, relevant visuals" that users could share directly to chats, stories, or their feed. As part of the rollout, Meta enabled a specific capability that allowed users to generate images by @-mentioning public Instagram accounts they wanted to reference — effectively letting anyone manipulate images of any public account, including those belonging to celebrities and private individuals with public profiles.
Why It Sparked Immediate Backlash
The feature drew swift criticism over its default settings. Public Instagram accounts belonging to users 18 and older were automatically opted in to being referenced by the AI tool, meaning individuals had to actively find and disable the setting to keep their images out of the system rather than opting in themselves. Talent agency CAA, whose clients include Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, and Zendaya, was among the most vocal critics, saying it had raised concerns with Meta directly on behalf of clients. "No one's name, image, likeness, voice or creative work should be used by any third party, including AI models, without clear, documented consent," CAA said in a statement, calling on Meta to make protection the default rather than the exception.
SAG-AFTRA, the union representing U.S. performers, also urged its members to opt out of the feature and published instructions on how to adjust Instagram's settings to do so, framing it as a way for members to "protect their likeness."
Meta's Response
Facing the pressure, Meta reversed course just three days after the feature went live. "Earlier this week, we announced that one way for people to generate images in Meta AI is by @-mentioning public Instagram accounts that they want to reference," a Meta spokesperson said in a statement. "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 had previously defended the feature's safeguards, saying it was built "with strong controls and safety guardrails from day one" — a position it ultimately walked back amid continued scrutiny.
Part of a Broader Pattern Across the AI Industry
Meta's reversal fits into a wider trend of AI companies testing the boundaries of how user likenesses can be used by generative tools, only to face backlash and reverse course. OpenAI encountered a similar controversy with its Sora 2 video model, which briefly featured a comparable opt-out policy before the company changed its approach and eventually shut the feature down entirely earlier this year. The recurring pattern highlights an unresolved tension in the AI industry: companies racing to ship generative features that use publicly available content, colliding with growing public and institutional expectations around consent and likeness rights.
The Bigger Backdrop
The reversal comes amid a notably turbulent week for AI headlines more broadly — including reports that OpenAI's No. 2 executive, Fidji Simo, is stepping back to focus on a chronic illness, and news that Apple has filed suit against OpenAI in federal court alleging the company stole trade secrets, which OpenAI has denied. It's also worth noting that this isn't Meta's first stumble with a major product launch; the company has faced periodic criticism over the years for AI and social features that didn't land as intended with users.
What's Next
Meta has not said whether it plans to reintroduce a modified version of Muse Image with different consent defaults, or whether the feature is gone for good. For now, the episode serves as a reminder of how quickly public and institutional pressure — from talent agencies to performer unions — can force a major tech platform to pull back a high-profile AI launch, even one framed internally as a flagship product from the company's newest AI research division.