In a sunlit studio in Los Angeles last week, an actor watched an AI-generated image appear on her screen. It borrowed her public Instagram photos without telling her. The incident was not isolated. Meta launched its Muse Image feature on Tuesday, letting users create and edit pictures by pulling in public Instagram accounts. The tool automatically included adults with public profiles. Private accounts and anyone under 18 stayed out.
Users received no alert when their images fed the system. That silence triggered immediate anger. Criticism poured in from Hollywood unions, talent agencies and performers who saw their faces remixed without permission. The outcry centred on consent. Once again, a major technology firm had chosen engagement over the basic right of people to decide how their own image is used.
Default inclusion meets instant rejection
Meta positioned the capability as a creative aid. Its official statement insisted the goal had been to offer a useful tool while letting individuals control whether their public posts could be referenced. Yet the design spoke louder. Automatic opt-in for millions of public accounts revealed where priorities lay: rapid adoption first, individual dignity second.
We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available.
That admission came on 10 July. Within days of launch, the referencing function vanished. The company described the decision plainly. Broader AI image tools remain, but the specific power to invoke public accounts by prompt or mention has gone.
The retreat carries weight. SAG-AFTRA, the union representing performers, called the withdrawal a win. Its statement left no room for ambiguity.
Anything other than a clear and conspicuous opt-in is unacceptable. We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the responsible thing to do.
Other Hollywood voices echoed the same concern. Talent agencies such as CAA joined actors in warning that unchecked AI could erode control over personal likenesses. The episode exposed a familiar pattern: technology races ahead, assumes consent through public settings, then scrambles when the human cost becomes visible.