Instagram users opted into Meta Muse Image AI tool by default

Meta launched its new Muse Image model on Tuesday, allowing Instagram users to automatically share and modify other people's public posts and profile pictures to generate artificial intelligence images. The updated system operates by letting individuals use public content simply by tagging another user's account inside an AI prompt. This structural shift automatically opts in all public profiles across the global platform by default.

Business Insider reported on the technology rollout, which allows external users to reuse standard posts, reels, and profile photos unless an account holder manually deactivates the functionality. The required privacy controls are located exclusively within the Instagram mobile application under the sharing and reuse tab in the settings menu. Within this section, individuals must disable separate, specific toggles for posts and reels to safeguard their data.

Instagram confirmed on its official help page that the platform will not notify creators when their content is repurposed by others. Furthermore, any existing AI-generated images created using a person's public media before changing the settings will not be deleted from the system. The sudden rollout represents the latest escalation in the long-running privacy battles of Meta, which has faced sustained scrutiny regarding its data practices. Privacy advocates have argued that default opt-in policies leave global users with insufficient control over how their personal media is repurposed.

The corporate strategy reflects a broader push by Meta to compete directly in the rapidly expanding generative artificial intelligence market. By transforming AI image creation into a built-in feature for billions of active accounts, the firm aims to compete against rival image-generation tools developed by OpenAI, Google, Midjourney, and Adobe. Meta previously drew substantial public criticism for using public social media posts to train its baseline models without requiring explicit user consent.