July 11 (Reuters) - Meta Inc. said on Friday it would shut down an artificial intelligence tool it launched a few days earlier that allowed users to create images using open Instagram accounts, after it faced widespread criticism over privacy concerns, including criticism from a Hollywood union.

"Our goal was to provide a useful creative tool and give people the ability to control their access to open content in this way," Meta said in a statement.

"We received feedback that this tool did not achieve its intended purpose, so it is no longer available," she added.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, launched Muse Image on Tuesday, the first image-generating model from Meta Super Intelligence Labs. This tool, integrated into the Meta AI chatbot, can use images as input and allows users to edit the generated images directly through drawing.

The tool quickly faced negative reactions due to privacy concerns and because it was automatically activated for users.

Emmy Award-winning actress Hannah Einbinder, known for her role in the TV series "Hax," criticized the feature on Instagram, saying it was activated automatically, and urged users to turn it off.

A union for actors and media workers also urged its members and other Instagram users on Thursday to deactivate the tool.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists (SAG-AFTRA) said, "Anything other than clear and conspicuous participation in this type of use of Instagram users' images is unacceptable and a gross misjudgment of public opinion regarding the clear risks and harms inherent in such use."

Following Meta's decision to remove the tool, the union welcomed the move.

A union spokesperson said, "Given that the risks of non-compliant digital copying are well known, having a tool that encourages this behavior is unwise. We appreciate it being stopped; this is the responsible thing to do."

This decline reflects the growing pressure on technology companies to give users clear control over how AI tools are used for the content they share publicly.