Meta pulls Instagram AI image tool after three days amid criticism
Meta removed its Muse Image AI feature within 72 hours of launch following backlash over the ability to edit Instagram photos and mention public accounts.
Meta announced on Thursday that it has discontinued the Muse Image tool, an AI-powered image-editing feature launched on July 8 as part of its Superintelligence Labs. The service allowed Instagram users to apply one of 30 filters that claimed to understand a photo’s lighting, composition and subject, and to generate images by @-mentioning public Instagram accounts.
The company said the feature was intended to give users a creative option and to let people control whether their public content could be referenced. After receiving criticism, Meta said the tool “missed the mark” and was therefore removed.
The rollout prompted immediate opposition from the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which called for an opt-in approach and warned of potential harms. Meta acknowledged the feedback and confirmed that the feature would no longer be available.
Meta noted that some of the filters had been created by Instagram creators who used its AI technology to enhance their work.