Meta rolled out its first AI photo and video generation tools from its Superintelligence Labs this week - Muse Photo and Muse Video - but the launch came with a default that immediately alarmed the creative community: all public Instagram profiles are automatically included for AI content creation unless users manually opt out. For celebrities, artists, and other high-profile figures whose likeness is their livelihood, that opt-out model has drawn sharp criticism from Hollywood's top talent agency.
CAA demands opt-in consent
Creative Artists Agency issued a statement Wednesday evening calling on Meta to reverse the policy and make protection the default. "No one's name, image, likeness, voice, or creative work should be used by any third party, including AI models, without clear, documented consent," CAA said. "True innovation puts creators first: respecting their rights, protecting their livelihoods, and giving them real control, not handing it over to platforms."
The agency, which maintains a "CAA Vault" of digital likenesses for potential monetization and protection, argued that artists deserve to decide if and how their likeness and work is used, with the ability to set terms and prevent unauthorized exploitation. CAA has raised its concerns directly with Meta and is pushing for an opt-in model where individuals choose to allow usage of their image or likeness for AI content creation.
Echoes of OpenAI's Sora misstep
The Muse rollout mirrors the troubled launch of OpenAI's Sora, which was overrun with well-known IP and celebrity likenesses shortly after its debut. OpenAI pivoted to an opt-in model before scrapping the video tool entirely earlier this year. After Sora appeared, WME opted out all of its clients, with digital chief Chris Jacquemin writing that "artists should have a choice in how they show up in the world and how their likeness is used."
CAA was the first test user of YouTube's deepfake detection tool, which later became available across Hollywood. The agency's early engagement with generative AI risks has not softened its stance on consent. With many public figures active on Instagram, an opt-out default means their profiles could be pulled into AI training and generation pipelines without any affirmative step - even if they later opt out, initial exposure may already lead to unauthorized uses.
Why this matters for creatives
For working creatives, platform policies like Meta's opt-out model turn public portfolios into potential AI training data by default. The burden falls on individuals to monitor, opt out, and track misuse, often after the fact. Understanding these tools and the rights frameworks around them is no longer optional. Professionals who want to stay in control of their digital likeness can build expertise through resources like AI for Creatives Courses and Generative Video Training, which cover the technology reshaping their industry and the practical steps to protect creative work.
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