META
Side-eyeing the fine print
Meta has launched Muse Image, a new AI image generator built by Meta Superintelligence Labs.
The tool is now available for free in the Meta AI app, Instagram Stories and WhatsApp.
Muse lets users create and edit images with text prompts.
People can use it to make filters, remove objects from photos, place themselves in new locations, or build images from ready-made prompt ideas.
But one feature is already raising privacy concerns.
Muse can use photos from another person’s public Instagram profile to create AI images.
Users only need to tag that person. Meta says people can turn this off in their settings, but they will not be notified if someone uses their content with Meta’s AI tools.
Muse is not only aimed at casual image creation. Meta is also positioning it for practical uses, including:
creating custom ads
testing home design ideas, such as seeing how furniture might look in a room
adding new AI-powered effects and filters to Instagram Stories
Settings doing overtime
One example shows a user previewing how a secondhand couch could look in their garage, with the feature designed to work alongside Facebook Marketplace.
That has worried some users, especially because Meta has faced major privacy issues before, including the Cambridge Analytica scandal and concerns over facial recognition.
Meta says Muse is free for everyday use, though heavy users may need a subscription.
The company also confirmed that an AI video tool, Muse Video, is already in development.
They knew this was a bad idea, right? Right? - MV