Meta has pulled the plug on a feature of a recently launched AI tool following criticism that it made fodder for use in creating AI-generated images.
The move on Friday came less than a week after the parent of Instagram and rolled out Muse Image, its first image-generation model available through the company鈥檚 artificial intelligence assistant, Meta AI.
鈥淥ur intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way,鈥� said in a statement. 鈥淲e鈥檝e heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it鈥檚 no longer available.鈥�
Like other AI apps with image-generating capabilities, Muse Image creates images based on users鈥� suggestions. But its also automatically made photos posted on all public Instagram accounts usable by the AI tool as a reference when creating new images.
That led to a flurry of social media posts flagging privacy concerns and instructing Instagram users how to opt out of having their accounts accessed by Muse Image.
Hollywood also was quick to raise concerns about the image-generation feature.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists urged its members to change the settings on their Instagram account to protect their likeness.
In a statement on X, SAG-AFTRA applauded Meta鈥檚 decision to shut off the feature.
鈥淲ith the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise,鈥� the union said. 鈥淲e appreciate its discontinuance. It is the right thing to do.鈥�
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