Meta launches Muse Image for AI image tools in Instagram and WhatsApp

In short: Meta has launched Muse Image, a new AI system that can create and edit images inside Instagram and WhatsApp.

What happened

Meta released Muse Image, an image-generation model, meaning a tool that can make new pictures when you type a request (like giving instructions to an artist). Meta says it can produce realistic images from text prompts. It can also combine multiple photos into a new image.

Meta also says Muse Image supports edits using sketches and presets, which are ready-made style options you can apply with a tap. It can also use @mentions, meaning you can refer to something or someone using the @ name inside the app as part of the creative flow.

Muse Image is rolling out through Meta AI, Meta’s built-in assistant across its apps. Some of the creative tools are already appearing in Instagram Stories and WhatsApp chats. Meta says it plans to expand to more of its apps over time, including Facebook and Messenger.

Why it matters

For everyday users, this means more built-in ways to make and change images without leaving the apps they already use. For Meta, it is also a competitive move. The company is trying to make AI a normal part of its social apps, not a separate chatbot you have to go looking for.

This launch follows an earlier rollout called Muse Spark, which Meta described as a broader family of AI models made by Meta Superintelligence Labs. Reporting has linked these releases to Meta’s efforts to keep up with rivals like OpenAI and Google.

Source: NYTimes