Meta's Muse Image AI generator on Instagram alarmed privacy experts

Meta released on Tuesday a new image generation tool called Muse Image AI, which by default allows creating photographs of Instagram users with public profiles — without their notification. The company calls the model "the most advanced in image generation" among those it has released.

How Muse Image AI Works

Instagram users can tag public profiles of other people, after which the tool generates images using faces taken from photos in their posts. According to The Guardian, Instagram does not send the owners of these profiles any notifications that their images were used in generating new content by the model.

• The launch date of Muse Image AI — Tuesday, July 2026
• Developer — Meta
• The tool works with public Instagram profiles by default
• Users whose faces are used do not receive notifications

Why Privacy Experts Are Raising Alarms

Privacy advocates warn that the mechanism for generating images based on public photos creates risks for millions of Instagram users who may not know that their image has become source material for AI generation. Experts advise users of the social network to check their account privacy settings after the tool is launched to understand whether their posts fall within the reach of the model.

What This Means

The launch of Muse Image AI by default for public profiles is another example of how large platforms deploy powerful generative tools faster than they establish transparent mechanisms for consent and notification of users whose data these tools use.