Meta under fire for AI tool that turns Instagram profile pics into ‘creepy’ images

Meta is facing a backlash over its new AI tool Muse Image, which can generate pictures using other people’s profile pictures without telling them. The tool, available through the Meta AI app and web browser as well as on WhatsApp and in Instagram Stories for US users, is one of many text-to-image tools publicly available, but its use of Instagram profile pictures is new – and powerful. Donald Campbell, advocacy director at tech justice non-profit Foxglove, told the BBC it was an “obvious recipe for disaster”. “We’ve already seen a catalogue of harms from non-consensual AI-altered images on social platforms just in the past year,” he said. “It is hard to see why Mark Zuckerberg thinks facilitating yet more of this creepy image manipulation is a good idea.” Privacy International also criticised the feature, telling the BBC it was “the latest sign AI companies see people’s images and data as raw material to be exploited”. One user wrote on X: “Pulling real users into generated photos without explicit consent is a privacy landmine waiting to detonate.” Meta said a dedicated setting, separate from account privacy controls, allows users to opt out even if they have a public account. To do so, users must go to Instagram’s settings menu, select “Sharing and Reuse” and switch off “Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta” for posts and reels. These settings only appear if your account is public – private accounts are already unable to be shared. The feature is likely to face heightened scrutiny as regulators and campaigners raise concerns about AI-generated images, with Ofcom currently investigating X over Grok’s role in creating and sharing non-consensual AI-altered images of real people. In a blog post covering the announcement, Meta said the tool uses “advanced reasoning to understand complex prompts, seamlessly blending multiple photos into high-quality creations you can download and share anywhere”. The company said users can also choose from presets and suggested prompts to “spark ideas”, as well as sketch edits directly onto images. While the tool is free for “everyday creation”, Meta said heavier users may face limits. The controversy comes as Meta enters a crowded AI image-generation market, but the integration with Instagram’s vast library of public profile pictures has sparked particular alarm among privacy advocates.