Meta is facing criticism over Muse Image, a new text-to-image tool that can generate pictures using other people's public Instagram profile photos without notifying them. The feature matters because it feeds into wider concerns about non-consensual AI-altered imagery, arriving as regulators and campaigners intensify scrutiny of such technology. Critics including the tech justice non-profit Foxglove called it an "obvious recipe for disaster", while Privacy International said it showed AI companies treating people's images and data as "raw material to be exploited".

Muse Image is available through the Meta AI app and web browser, on WhatsApp, and in Instagram Stories for US users, with Facebook, Messenger and an advertiser tool to follow, and a video version reportedly in development. Meta says users can opt out via a dedicated Instagram setting under "Sharing and Reuse", switching off content reuse for AI features, though this only applies to public accounts, as private accounts cannot be shared. The tool is free for everyday use with paid subscription tiers for heavier users, and the controversy comes as Ofcom investigates X over Grok's role in creating non-consensual AI-altered images of real people.