Meta has made a significant move this week by launching its initial photo and video tools, Muse Photo and Muse Video, emerging from its Superintelligence Labs, which is overseen by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, a proponent of artificial intelligence. This development positions Meta on par with advanced AI media creation platforms like Google’s Gemini and Seedance 2.0.
However, alongside these innovative tools, Meta announced a key policy that all public Instagram profiles will be set to an opt-out configuration. This means that users who do not opt out allow their accounts to be accessed by others who can then create new content featuring their profiles. This change raises serious concerns for high-profile individuals and celebrities, even if many choose to opt out.
In response to this, the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has voiced its objections to Meta, urging the company to shift to an opt-in system instead. The agency stated, “No individual’s name, image, likeness, voice, or creative work should be used by any third party, including AI models, without clear, documented consent. Genuine innovation should prioritize creators, acknowledging their rights, safeguarding their income, and granting them genuine control rather than surrendering it to platforms.”
CAA emphasized that artists should have autonomy over how their likenesses and work are utilized, alongside the capability to set specific terms. They called for the default setting to prioritize creator protection on Muse Photo and Muse Video, enabling individuals to decide if they want their images and likenesses to be used for AI-generated content.
Additionally, CAA highlighted the necessity for responsible AI practices, including the need for transparent disclosures and rapid removal of unauthorized content. They asserted that there should be straightforward ways to identify, monitor, and eliminate misuse, as well as clarity regarding AI-generated content. Although the agency acknowledges the potential of emerging technology, they assert that it should never compromise individual rights or livelihoods. The future of creativity fundamentally relies on upholding the ownership and independence of those who contribute to it.
The CAA is acutely aware of both the opportunities and risks that generative AI brings to its clientele. They manage what they term the "CAA Vault," where the digital representations of their clients are securely held for possible future monetization and protection. Moreover, the agency was an early tester of YouTube’s deepfake detection tool, which was made available to the broader Hollywood community this year.
The current Muse situation has drawn parallels to the problematic launch of OpenAI’s Sora, which was inundated with the intellectual property and likenesses of many renowned figures, compelling the AI company to transition to an opt-in structure before abandoning the video component entirely earlier this year.
Following Sora's debut, WME announced that it would opt out all its clients from the model, marking the first step in the decline of that system. WME's digital chief, Chris Jacquemin, stressed the urgent need for substantial protections for artists and creatives in light of AI models utilizing their intellectual property, name, image, and likeness. He affirmed that artists should have the discretion to control their representation and usage, and informed OpenAI of WME's decision to opt out all WME clients from the latest Sora AI updates.
Given the large number of celebrities, artists, and creators on Instagram, an opt-out policy may not suffice, particularly as their likeness is often crucial to their professional success.
