Meta’s Latest AI Image Generator Raises Privacy Concerns
In a bid to keep up with competitors like DALL-E and Midjourney, Meta has unveiled its standalone AI image generator named Imagine with Meta. This web-based tool, currently free to use, creates images based on text prompts.
While the launch of Meta’s image generator has garnered attention, not everyone is pleased. Privacy concerns have been raised due to the AI model being trained on a vast dataset comprising images from Facebook and Instagram. This development has sparked worries among individuals regarding their online privacy.
Meta has clarified that the image generator was trained on publicly available data, including the extensive collection of photos from Facebook and Instagram. Despite assurances that private posts shared solely with close connections were excluded to safeguard user privacy, the public remains uneasy.
Expressing discontent, a Reddit user remarked, “Funny how Disney has more rights to [pictures] of Mickey Mouse than you have to your own photos.”
Although the tool showcases innovative image generation capabilities, the reliance on a substantial amount of personal data has brought forth concerns regarding data security and user autonomy.
Amidst these discussions, individuals are contemplating the implications of their social media presence, with one Reddit user highlighting, “This is one of the reasons I haven’t posted a picture of my face to social media in 10+ years.”
Currently accessible in the US, Meta’s new image generator produces four images per prompt, each bearing a visible watermark to enhance transparency and traceability. Additionally, the company plans to implement an invisible watermark on AI-generated images, designed to withstand common image alterations such as cropping, resizing, color adjustments, screenshots, compression, noise, and overlay additions.
