Meta removes AI feature that drew from users’ public Instagram content
by Brad Matthews · The Washington TimesMeta has axed a feature in its new AI image generation model that allowed users on Instagram to create images drawing on the publicly available media of other users.
In an update Friday, Meta said, “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 feature was rolled out as part of the launch of Meta’s Muse Image model this week.
The feature was turned on by default, though users were able to go into their Instagram settings to disable the use of all of their public media for generating content via Muse Image and could turn off the use of publicly available photos or Instagram videos by the AI model.
Following the announcement of Muse Image, Meta came under fire for allowing the creation of AI content from people’s media without notifying them, including from groups that represent people with public-facing social media accounts with large followings like talent agency CAA and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).
CAA said in a statement following the removal of the feature that it commends “Meta for its swift decision to remove the Muse Image feature. Putting individual rights and consent at the forefront is essential to building responsible technology,” according to Deadline.
According to Deadline, officials at SAG-AFTRA echoed the sentiment, saying, “We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the responsible thing to do.”
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