Meta Launches Muse Image AI Model That Can Use Public Instagram Photos Without Consent

Meta has introduced Muse Image, a new AI image generation model developed by its Meta Superintelligence Labs unit. Launched on July 8, 2026, Muse Image is available for free on the Meta AI app, Instagram Stories, and WhatsApp. The model allows users to create and edit images using text prompts and new Instagram Story effects. A controversial feature enables users to tag any public Instagram profile and generate new AI images based on that person's photos without their explicit consent.

This tagging feature has sparked privacy concerns, as it allows the system to pull images from public accounts to create new content. Meta's policy states that people "may have their Instagram content used by Meta AI features" and that users will not receive notifications when AI-generated content is created from their images. However, Meta claims users have control over this feature and can disable the use of their photos in settings, meaning the default setting permits usage unless actively turned off.

Beyond this privacy-sensitive aspect, Muse offers familiar AI image generation capabilities such as creating humorous or artistic images, editing photos based on text instructions, and generating personalized Instagram Story filters. Meta also demonstrated commercial applications like customized ads and interior design ideas, including visualizing secondhand furniture in a user’s garage, potentially integrating with Facebook Marketplace.

Testing revealed the model readily generated new images from public photos of Israeli model Bar Refaeli but refused to alter images of global celebrities like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in ways that might cause controversy. Attempts to create unflattering images of Mark Zuckerberg were also blocked. Meta announced Muse Video, an AI video generator, is currently in development.

Meta’s AI strategy has faced criticism for lack of clarity, but the company plans significant investments in AI infrastructure this year. The privacy concerns around Muse echo Meta’s troubled history, including a $5 billion FTC fine in 2019 over the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the 2021 shutdown of Facebook’s facial recognition system amid regulatory pressure. The tagging feature’s opt-out default aligns with past patterns of broad data use unless users explicitly restrict it, raising ongoing debates about privacy and consent in AI applications.