Meta Platforms has retired its new artificial intelligence tool for images just days after its launch following widespread backlash over privacy concerns.
The failed feature, called Muse Image, was the first image generation model from the company’s Superintelligence Labs to be integrated into Meta AI. It’s described as an easy way to “turn your ideas into high-quality visuals.”
However, users pointed out that Muse was automatically linked to their Instagram account without their consent and did not realize that the photos on their handle could be used by Muse without their knowledge.
This led to calls for a consent option to be provided before integrating Muse into an account. SAG-Aftra, the union representing Hollywood actors and other media professionals, called for opting out as an option.
To opt out, users must tap the settings icon in the top right corner of the app, scroll down to “Share & Reuse,” and uncheck the option to allow “users to create and reuse your content.”
In response to the backlash, California-based Meta, which launched Muse on Tuesday, halted operations on Friday and admitted it had “missed the mark.”
“Our goal was to provide a useful creative tool and give people control over whether their public content can be viewed in this way,” Mehta said.
It’s unclear if Meta will bring Muse back at some point in the future or if this move is permanent.
“We have heard your feedback and are no longer available.”
The Muse debacle is the latest in a list of setbacks for technology companies that have been trying to leverage AI to reach more users.
But while these companies have repeatedly guaranteed privacy and security, automatically linking social media accounts to new services is against their policies and risks sharing user data without consent.
Users and critics have long been concerned about such tactics within a company of Meta’s size. The Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp platforms alone have a combined active user base of approximately 9 billion people, which is more than the population of the Earth.
Muse is the latest in a long list of headaches for Meta. In February, the tech giant had to face court battles across the country after being accused of not doing enough to protect children from exploitation and trafficking on its platforms.
New AI capabilities, made easier to create using AI tools, have also contributed to the so-called poor AI, low-quality, and meaningless content that has flooded the internet.
And importantly, making your account public may expose it to scammers and cybercriminals.
Parthik Muni, managing partner at Mumbai-based Adly Consultancy, said non-consensual technology services raise important questions, including how copyright and identity rights would apply in “a world where AI can generate the likeness of another person.”
“What if we told you that just by giving an AI your social media handles, it could use the image and style of your public profile to create a new image that looks like you? Rather than stealing your photo, it captures your likeness and generates an entirely new photo,” he says.
