Meta Removes AI Muse Image Feature After Backlash

Days after rolling out its Muse Image AI feature on social media, Meta has heard the overwhelming backlash from users.

On Friday, the tech behemoth announced that the feature is “no longer available” on Instagram, admitting they “missed the mark” amid privacy concerns and the automatic opt-in for users.

“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,” the company said in an update. “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 added, “We’ve heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it’s no longer available.”

At its core, a Muse user just needed to tag a public or unprotected IG feed, and it instantly becomes meat for the AI generator to create its own images or “remixes,” as they are sometimes called, after which the images are available online permanently.

Friday’s announcement comes after Creative Artists Agency (CAA) called for Meta to implement guardrails for Muse, despite the agency rolling out its own AI Vault program to archive its members’ likenesses forever.

“Artists deserve to decide if and how their likeness and work is used, with consent and the ability to set their own terms,” a CAA spokesperson said in a statement. “This means letting creators impose restrictions, monitor usage, and prevent unauthorized endorsements or exploitation. Responsible AI requires clear disclosures and swift removal of unauthorized content. There must be easy ways to spot, track, and take down misuse, and it should be clear when something is AI-generated. CAA believes in the power of new technology, but not at the cost of individuals’ rights or livelihoods. The future of creativity depends on respecting the ownership and autonomy of those who make it possible.”

Meanwhile, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) shared instructions on how to “dig into [Instagram’s] settings” to opt-out of the Muse Image tool. “Take action to protect your likeness,” the union wrote in a statement.

Meta previously downplayed the privacy concerns in a response to backlash. “We built Muse Image with strong controls and safety guardrails from day one. Private accounts and those belonging to users under 18 are automatically excluded and adult users with public accounts can opt-out with just a couple clicks. We will take action against any content that violates our Community Standards,” the company behind Facebook, Instagram and Threads said in a statement.

The use of AI in Hollywood continues to be a hot-button topic in recent years. SAG-AFTRA has endorsed the Trump administration’s AI policy framework, which calls for Congress to enact legislation that includes parental controls, intellectual property rights protection, First Amendment protections, expanding AI workforce development, allowing data centers to generate their own power and removing legal barriers that limit AI innovation.

Last month, Trump signed an executive order for voluntary framework in which AI companies would provide the government with access to new models for a 30-day review period before their release.