Meta unveils Muse AI for image generation across Instagram, WhatsApp and Meta AI app

Meta has expanded its consumer AI portfolio with the launch of Muse Image, a new image generation model developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs, the company's dedicated artificial intelligence division. The tool will power a range of image creation and editing features across Meta's ecosystem, including the Meta AI app, Instagram Stories and WhatsApp.

The launch marks another step in Meta's push to weave generative AI into its social platforms. Alongside familiar text-to-image capabilities, Muse introduces AI-assisted editing tools, creative presets and integrations with Facebook Marketplace. However, one feature has quickly become the centre of attention for a different reason: it allows users to generate AI images based on photographs from public Instagram accounts.

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The capability has prompted fresh debate over how social media companies are using publicly shared content in the age of generative AI, even as Meta says users can choose whether their images are available for such features.

Muse brings AI image generation across Meta apps

Muse is designed as Meta's latest all-purpose image generator, offering tools that range from creating entirely new visuals from text prompts to editing existing images with simple written instructions. The company says the model is free to use for everyday image creation, although higher usage will require a paid Meta subscription.

To make the tool easier for newcomers, Meta has also included built-in "presets" that generate ready-made prompts intended to inspire users who are unsure what to create.

Beyond generating artwork, Muse supports prompt-based image editing. Meta says users can ask the AI to place them in front of famous landmarks, remove unwanted people from photographs or generate custom QR codes through text instructions. The company is also rolling out a collection of AI-powered effects for Instagram Stories, allowing users to apply editable filters and creative transformations to existing photos.

Meta is extending Muse into commerce as well. The model will integrate with Facebook Marketplace, enabling users to visualise furniture and home décor in different settings before making a purchase. Businesses will also be able to use the tool to create advertising assets, reflecting the growing role of generative AI in digital marketing.

The company has also confirmed that Muse Video, an AI-powered video generation model, is already under development, signalling that its ambitions extend beyond still images.

Instagram photo feature sparks privacy debate

Despite its creative features, Muse's rollout has attracted criticism over one particular function involving public Instagram accounts.

The feature allows users to tag an Instagram account with a public profile and generate new AI images using that person's existing photographs. The capability was first highlighted by Wired, which raised concerns about whether many users would be aware their publicly shared images could be repurposed through AI tools.

Users have emphesised on "draws on Instagram for social context". One user commented, "that's meta quietly admitting the model's real advantage isn't the image quality, it's that they have more personal data feeding the prompt than any competitor could ever access."

Meta acknowledges that "people may be able to create content with your Instagram content using AI features at Meta" and notes that "You will not be notified about content created using AI features at Meta."

The company maintains that users remain in control of the experience, saying settings are available that allow people to opt out if they do not want their public Instagram content to be used in this way. Even so, the lack of notifications has prompted questions about whether those safeguards will be sufficiently visible or widely understood.

The controversy arrives as Meta continues to expand its AI ecosystem at a rapid pace. Over the past year, the company has launched several AI products, including the Creator assistant and Pocket, an application designed to help users build video games using natural language prompts.

While Meta's broader AI strategy has faced scrutiny from industry observers, the company continues to invest heavily in AI infrastructure as it develops new consumer products. Muse represents its latest attempt to embed generative AI directly into the apps used by billions of people, but its reception suggests that privacy concerns are likely to remain as prominent as the technology itself.