Meta unveiled Muse Image, a new AI image generator built by Meta Superintelligence Labs, now available free through the Meta AI app, Instagram Stories and WhatsApp. The tool allows users to create cartoonish images, experiment with interior decorating concepts tied to Facebook Marketplace, and perform prompt-based photo editing, including removing background elements or generating custom QR codes. Meta is also introducing related AI effects for Instagram Stories, alongside plans for a forthcoming video generator, Muse Video, which the company said is already in development.
The launch has drawn scrutiny over a feature allowing users to tag public Instagram profiles and generate AI images using another person’s photos without their explicit consent. Meta stated that affected users would not be notified when their content is used this way, though it noted settings exist to opt out. Critics, including commentators cited by The Verge, described the feature as a privacy risk given the platform’s history, including a $5 billion FTC fine following the Cambridge Analytica data scandal and its 2021 shutdown of Facebook’s facial-recognition system amid regulatory pressure.
Meta said standard use of Muse remains free, with a subscription required beyond certain usage limits.
