Meta's recently launched AI image generator, Muse Image, has received widespread criticism after users realized it allows them to create AI images using photos from other users' public Instagram accounts. The internet is fuming with many raising concerns about privacy. A user commented:“How is this legal?”How does Meta’s new Muse Image work on Instagram, and why are people hating it?Meta Superintelligence Labs launched the feature on July 8, and it is now available through the Meta AI app, Instagram Stories in the United States, and WhatsApp in select countries. While Meta promotes Muse Image as its most advanced image-generation model yet, its ability to recreate other people's public Instagram posts has created an online privacy debate.To use the feature, one has to simply tag a public Instagram account and type a prompt into the Meta AI app. The AI will then create new images based on the individual's posted photos.According to Meta's policy, anyone with a public Instagram account may see their content used in AI-generated creations without being notified. Users can disable the feature through their privacy settings, but it is enabled by default; adults with public accounts are automatically opted in.The company claims that users can control whether others can produce AI content from their Instagram posts, but critics say that requiring users to opt out rather than asking for explicit consent presents serious privacy concerns.Aside from the controversial Instagram feature, Muse Image provides several AI-powered products, including:AI Image Generation from Text PromptsPrompt-based photo editingMulti-image composition featuring multiple references.AI-Powered QR Code CreationRemove unwanted things or individuals from photographs.Creating visual prototypes, including home decorating conceptsIntegration with Facebook Marketplace for furniture visualizationMeta also revealed that Muse Video, an AI video-generation model built on the same technology, is now under development.According to Meta, Muse Image incorporates an invisible Content Seal watermark that can identify AI-generated photographs even after they've been cropped, scaled, or screenshotted.Shortly after Muse Image's launch, several Instagram users started sharing instructions on how to disable the function and prevent others from exploiting their public photographs for AI-generated content.Internet reacts to Meta's AI photo featureThe feature sparked outrage on social media, with many questioning if it should be acceptable to allow AI-generated images based on someone else's photos without their explicit permission.A user wrote:"The f*ck you mean anyone can create AI image of other people's public photos? What is the objective behind this? How is this legal? Are misuse of these feature even mildly considered?"Another user warned parents, writing:"I cannot stress this enough. Stop posting pictures of your kids online immediately!!"One person criticized Meta's AI rollout, saying:"The way they keep releasing all these useless ai features that they know can be extremely dangerous is so disturbing."Another joked:"People heavily dependent on AI must seek therapy at this point, this is so bad."Questioning the growing presence of AI in consumer products, one user wrote:"Why are these big organisations, companies and corporations trying to shove AI down our throat we literally never asked for this."Another joked:"Oh, we’re doomed. instagram really does everything except bringing the old following activity back."A User accused the platform of enabling abuse:"IG & Meta supporting scammers and false profile users lowkey."Another described the feature as a serious privacy concern:"Instagram letting people generate AI images from someone else's public photos is a privacy nightmare disguised as a feature. Just because a photo is public doesn't mean it should become training material or a prompt for anyone's imagination!"A user aimed at the broader issue of AI training data:"The internet spent years saying "don't use my photos"... AI heard "thanks for the dataset." Privacy really is becoming a premium feature."Another highlighted who they believe could be most affected:"This is honestly creepy. Women are going to be targeted the most with this."Meanwhile, another pointed out the restrictions certain countries could impose:"Some governments have restrictions on this, so Instagram can’t just allow it whenever they feel like it. I think it could only be possible if it complies with the laws and regulations of each country."Meta released a statement soon after all the backlash it received:“We built this feature with strong controls and safety guardrails from day one. Private accounts that are under 18 are automatically excluded and adults with public accounts can opt out with easy-to-use controls. We'll take action against any content that violates our rules."This incident has also reignited debates concerning Meta's previous management of user data.Stay tuned to Soap Central for more information.