Meta lets users turn public Instagram profiles into AI avatars

A rollout of Meta's new image generation tool, Muse Image, allows users to feed public Instagram accounts into prompts as visual references, as reported by TechCrunch. The feature has started appearing for select users in the United States and several other countries.

Instead of merely copying photos, the tool analyzes visual attributes from selected public profiles—such as facial features, clothing, and posture—and incorporates them into new imagery based on text prompts. The reference accounts do not need to grant permission; anyone can target any public profile, including high-profile accounts like that of Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg.

The feature is active by default. According to Meta's help documentation, profile owners can restrict their photos from being referenced by navigating to privacy settings. However, users receive no notifications when their profiles are selected as generation references, leaving those who do not monitor setting updates unaware of their participation.

Meta framed the tool as an entertaining way to create memes, greeting cards, and personalized content, adding that all resulting outputs include digital watermarking denoting synthetic origins. The decision to make consent opt-out rather than opt-in remains the central friction point for privacy advocates.

Source: habr

Reported via: TechCrunch, Instagram Help