UPDATE 7/10: Following backlash, Meta has removed the option to generate AI images using public Instagram photos.
“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,” Meta said in an update to its blog post. “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. We’ve heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it’s no longer available.”
This comes after the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) shared details on how to opt out of Instagram sharing. “Take action to protect your likeness,” it said at the time. Tonight, it cheered Meta’s removal of the feature. “A win is a win,” it tweeted.
As Variety reports, the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which represents actors like Zendaya and Meryl Streep, also said on Wednesday that, “No one’s name, image, likeness, voice or creative work should be used by any third party, including AI models, without clear, documented consent.” It called on Meta “to make protection the default on Muse Image, not the exception, and enable individuals to opt-in if they want to allow usage of their image or likeness for AI content creation.”
Original Story 7/8:
Meta has introduced a new image-generation model for its apps that lets users tag Instagram accounts and use their public images as references for AI prompts, among other things.
The Muse Image model was developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs, and it “pairs with Muse Spark to reason through your prompt, search the web, and plan before it generates,” says Meta’s chief AI officer, Alexandr Wang.
At launch, the Muse Image model is available for free through the Meta AI app, Instagram Stories, and the Meta AI chat window on WhatsApp. Get started with a conversational prompt or upload a photo and provide commands to modify it. Or use the Ideas button to get suggestions.
(Credit: Meta)
To provide the AI with more specific instructions, you can use Markup tools to draw over a part of the image and enter a prompt. For example, you can scribble over a person’s eyes and ask the AI to add sunglasses, or mark their head to add a hat. The model can also remove a person from the background or build a functional QR code, Meta says.
Allow People to Reuse Your Content?
More importantly, Muse Image lets users @mention Instagram accounts in the Meta AI app and use the account’s public images as a reference for the prompt. For example, you could tag a person and ask Meta AI to add them to an image.
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(Credit: Meta Ai)
Meta says this is in line with Instagram’s content reuse policy, meaning if your account is private, Meta AI won’t let others use your uploads to generate or edit images. Still, there are ways to stop Meta AI from scraping your content.
Go to your Instagram profile, tap the Menu bar on the top right to enter Settings and activity, select Sharing and Reuse, and disable both options under Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta. Changes made using this option “only apply to future media,” the support page warns.
(Credit: Jibin Joseph)
Meta’s new Muse Image model is currently available to users in the US and comes with a usage cap. For extended use, you’ll need to purchase one of Meta’s subscription plans. Soon, the model will be made available in other markets as well as on Facebook and Messenger.
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Jibin is a tech news writer based out of Ahmedabad, India. Previously, he served as the editor of iGeeksBlog and is a self-proclaimed tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex information for a broader audience.
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