Meta has removed a feature from its new Muse AI photo and video tool that drew ire from Hollywood powerhouses like CAA and SAG-AFTRA.
The tech giant announced Friday night that it has removed a feature that allowed users to create AI content by tagging another regular user, effectively remixing the content. The company has made the feature applicable to all public Instagram profiles unless users actively opt out of the feature.
“Earlier this week, we announced that one of the ways people can generate images with Meta AI is by mentioning the public Instagram accounts they want to reference,” the company said in a statement Friday. “Our goal was to provide a useful creative tool and give people control over whether their published content can be viewed in this way. We’ve heard feedback that this feature misses the mark, so it’s no longer available.”
The feature drew the ire of Hollywood powers-that-be, including CAA, which said in a statement Wednesday that “a person’s name, image, likeness, voice, or creative work may not be used by any third party, including AI models, without explicit written consent.”
SAG-AFTRA subsequently released its own statement, saying, “Anything short of a clear and conspicuous opt-in for this type of use of Instagram users’ images is unacceptable and is a complete miscalculation of public sentiment regarding the clear danger and harm inherent in such use.”
Meta seems to have heard these concerns when removing the feature.
This backtracking is strikingly similar to OpenAI’s backlash against the release of the Sora app last year. The app was released with limited IP protection, resulting in a large number of infringers, including many high-profile celebrities and public figures, who pulled back and started cracking down after a few days. OpenAI ultimately eliminated Sora as it shifted its strategy toward enterprise customers.
