Meta has launched a new artificial intelligence feature that allows anyone to use public Instagram photos and reels to generate AI content, and this option is turned on by default for all public accounts. The tool is called Muse Image and is built on a new generation image generation model developed by Meta. With a simple @-mention, users can call up another person's Instagram profile and use their public images to create custom invitations, creative drafts, or personalized graphics ready to share.
This move has immediately raised privacy concerns, as many users are unaware that they have implicitly granted Meta permission to use their content for AI training and generation. The default opt-in means that unless users manually intervene, their public photos can end up in new AI-generated products without any notification.
How Muse Image works and what data it uses
Muse Image is rolling out across Instagram, WhatsApp, and other Meta AI platforms. The feature allows users to mention a public Instagram account via the @ symbol directly into the Meta AI prompt. The system retrieves the public photos and videos from that account and uses them as a basis to generate an AI image. According to Meta's official description, the tool is designed for designing custom invitations, creative drafts, or personalized graphics. No notification is sent to the user whose content is used. This means a travel photo or a family reel can become part of an image generated by another person, without the original creator knowing.
Sponsored Protocol
Settings and privacy: what changes for public users
Instagram's help page specifies that all content shared on public accounts can be reused to create content with AI features. In addition to Muse Image, public content can already be used for remixes, sequences, templates, and stickers. With the arrival of Muse Image, the scope expands further. Meta has confirmed that private profiles are excluded from this feature, so those who keep their account private have nothing to worry about. However, for public accounts, the option is enabled by default and no explicit consent is requested.
Sponsored Protocol
How to opt out of photo use for AI
For those who do not want their public images to be used by Muse Image, Meta has provided an opt-out toggle in the settings. Go to Instagram settings, section 'Sharing and Reuse', and turn off the options for 'Posts' and 'Reels' under 'Allow people to create with and reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta'. It is important to note that turning off the toggle does not delete AI content already generated before the opt-out. Moreover, the opt-out may not be visible to everyone yet, as Muse Image is being rolled out gradually.
Sponsored Protocol
Future of Muse Image: expansion to Facebook and Messenger
Meta has announced plans to extend Muse Image to Facebook and Messenger in the near future. Additionally, advertisers and agencies will be able to use the tool to create advertising content in the coming weeks. The company is also developing Muse Video, a dedicated version for AI video generation. This evolution fits into a broader landscape of AI content creation tools, such as the one already seen with Google Photos Video Remix based on Gemini Omni. As technology advances, the need for clear regulation to balance innovation and privacy grows.
Meta's choice to enable Muse Image by default echoes other controversies over data use for AI. For further reading on legal implications, see the Wikipedia article on generative AI.
Source: https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/08/meta-ai-muse-image
