Meta Pulls New AI Image Tool Days After Launch Amid Privacy Backlash

Meta Platforms (META) announced on Friday it is discontinuing a new artificial intelligence feature just days after its launch, following widespread criticism regarding user privacy and data consent.

The feature, called Muse Image, was an image-generation model that used public photos from Instagram accounts as input for its AI chatbot.

Feature Scrapped After Backlash

Meta launched Muse Image on Tuesday as the first model from its Meta Superintelligence Labs, integrating it into the Meta AI chatbot. The tool allowed users to generate and edit images, but it faced immediate backlash because it was an automatic opt-in for Instagram users, meaning their public content could be used by default.

In a statement, the company acknowledged the negative feedback. "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," Meta said, according to Reuters. "We’ve heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it’s no longer available."

Criticism from Hollywood Union

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The move drew sharp criticism from high-profile users and organizations. SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors and media professionals, issued a statement on Thursday urging its members and the public to opt out of the feature.

"Anything other than a clear and conspicuous opt-in for these types of uses of Instagram users’ images is unacceptable, and an utter miscalculation of public sentiment," the union stated. Following Meta's reversal, a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson called the discontinuance "the responsible thing to do," highlighting the well-known dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas.

Broader Implications for AI and Data

Meta's rapid reversal underscores the increasing pressure on technology companies to be transparent and provide users with explicit control over how their data is used to train AI models. The incident serves as a prominent example of public sentiment and organized opposition forcing a major tech firm to quickly alter its product strategy.

Despite the controversy, shares of Meta closed up 5.97% on Friday's trading session.