Changing Anyone's Photo Made Exceptionally Easy: Meta's Feature Stuns Everyone

(Digital Itla) California: Now, anyone can alter your Instagram photos using AI without your permission. Meta's new feature, the AI generator "Muse Image," has come under intense criticism immediately after its launch.

Meta has introduced a new AI image generator called 'Muse Image' under its artificial intelligence unit, Meta Super Intelligence Labs. Currently, it can be used for free on the Meta AI app, Instagram Stories, and WhatsApp. According to the technology website 'TechCrunch,' under this feature, if a user's Instagram account is public, anyone can include their 'username' in an AI prompt to generate new images based on that user's photos.

By simply tagging the target user, their photo can be modified with AI without their explicit permission. This usage of users' photos without notification has sparked a fresh privacy debate. The new feature allows users to generate images in various styles simply by providing written instructions, while pre-made "presets" will also be available to help users gain new ideas.

However, within a few hours of its launch, this feature became heavily mired in controversy. The biggest objection is raised against the option that allows other users to modify a person's photos via AI simply by tagging them, provided the account is public. According to Meta's policy, users' Instagram photos can be used in AI features, and in such cases, the relevant user will not receive any notification. Although the company states that users can go into settings to turn off this option, critics argue that because this feature is enabled by default (opt-out), it poses a significant threat to privacy.

On the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), multiple users have labeled this feature "dangerous" for privacy. One user wrote, "Altering someone's photos with AI without their explicit permission could prove to be a privacy landmine."

In addition to this, Muse Image will enable AI-driven photo editing, removing unwanted people from backgrounds, generating new photos in front of historical landmarks, and creating QR codes. Meta shared that this technology can also be used for advertisements, interior design, and showcasing products used on Facebook Marketplace in different styles, while new AI filters are also being introduced for Instagram Stories.

Meta clarified that if users want to protect their content from being used by artificial intelligence, they must go to Instagram settings under the 'Sharing and Reuse' section and turn off the options that allow posts, reels, and original audio to be used with Meta's AI, or alternatively, make their account private.

According to the company, the service will be free for general use; however, a subscription will be required for usage beyond a specific limit. Meta also announced that work is underway on an AI video generator called "Muse Videos." Experts note that Meta's controversial past record regarding user data, including the Cambridge Analytica scandal and legal disputes over facial recognition systems, is further fueling users' concerns over this new feature.