Meta yanks Muse Image AI after Hollywood revolt; Apple sues OpenAI over alleged trade-secret theft
The weekend opened with two sharp reminders that the AI boom is colliding hard with real-world rules.
The weekend opened with two sharp reminders that the AI boom is colliding hard with real-world rules.
Meta pulled its Muse Image generator from Instagram and the Meta AI app just three days after launch, admitting the feature “missed the mark” on privacy [1]. The tool, the first image model out of Meta Superintelligence Labs, let users tag any public Instagram profile and generate AI images trained on that person’s publicly shared photos — with no opt-in. Public accounts were included by default; only private accounts and users under 18 were excluded [1]. Hollywood pushed back fast: SAG-AFTRA, talent agency CAA, and actors including Hacks star Hannah Einbinder warned that using anyone’s likeness without “clear, documented consent” was unacceptable [1]. Meta said Muse Video remains available, but the episode adds to a pattern of launch-first, apologize-later AI rollouts.
Meanwhile, Apple sued OpenAI in California federal court Friday, accusing the ChatGPT maker of stealing hardware designs as it prepares its own AI devices [2]. The lawsuit names OpenAI chief hardware officer Tang Tan, a 24-year Apple veteran, and former Apple engineer Chang Liu. Apple alleges Tan asked employees to bring “digital designs and prototypes” to OpenAI interviews for “show and tell sessions,” and claims Liu accessed Apple network storage after leaving, texting a colleague: “LOL, I found out I can access the [network storage], so funny” [2]. Apple called the evidence “the tip of the iceberg” and is seeking an injunction, return of trade secrets, and damages. OpenAI said it has “no interest in other companies’ trade secrets” [2].
In world news, the Strait of Hormuz is again the flashpoint between Iran and the United States. Iran and Oman’s foreign ministers met Saturday to discuss safe passage after Iranian ship attacks and U.S. retaliation strained an interim deal to end the war [3]. Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed revenge for his father’s killing in the war’s opening strikes, while President Trump warned that “a thousand missiles are Locked and Loaded” [3]. Iran has demanded control of the strait and the right to charge transit fees; the U.S. wants Tehran to publicly guarantee the waterway stays open [3].
Finally, Spain is fighting one of its deadliest wildfires on record in the Los Gallardos area of Almería, where at least 12 people have died and 23 remain missing [4]. Spanish authorities say four of the dead are British nationals, and warn the toll could rise. The fire has burned 6,600 hectares amid a heatwave pushing 40 °C (104 °F) across Southern Europe [4]. France has also seen major fires and 2,025 excess deaths at the peak of its heatwave, underscoring a summer of climate-driven extremes [4].
Sources [1] https://thenextweb.com/news/meta-muse-image-instagram-privacy-backlash-pulled [2] https://thenextweb.com/news/apple-sues-openai-trade-secrets-theft-hardware [3] https://apnews.com/article/iran-united-states-trump-khamenei-funeral-533b52cf249314ba1d9b5f9a30b1ca43 [4] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1wyv383j2xo