Meta's New AI Image Tool Can Use Your Public Instagram Photos by Default

Meta is rolling out a new feature that lets people use public Instagram posts and reels to generate AI content, and it's turned on by default.

If you have an Instagram account that's not set to private, there is a setting allowing anyone to generate content on ‌Meta‌ AI using your images and videos. The option was added to support ‌Meta‌'s new image generation model, Muse Image. Muse Image is rolling out across Instagram, WhatsApp, and ‌Meta‌ AI, and it pulls in images from an Instagram account with just an @-mention. From ‌Meta‌'s description of Muse Image:

An Instagram help page explains that content on public Instagram accounts can be used for creating content with AI features, and you won't get a notification if someone uses your content to create an AI image.

‌Meta‌ opts all public Instagram accounts in by default, but there is an option to turn off AI permissions. In the Instagram app settings, scroll to Sharing and Reuse, then toggle off "Posts" and "Reels" under the "Allow people to create with and reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at ‌Meta‌."

Turn off the setting now if you don't want people using your content to create AI images, because AI content created prior to turning it off isn't deleted. Muse Image is still rolling out, and so is the toggle to turn off AI use. You may not see the opt-out option right away. Private Instagram profiles aren't included in Muse Image.

‌Meta‌ plans to expand Muse Image to Facebook and Messenger soon, and allow advertisers and agencies to use Muse Image to create content in the coming weeks. ‌Meta‌ is also working on a Muse Video feature.