Christians in both ministry, the pews must prepare for ‘impersonation problem’ of AI fakes: American Bible Society warns
August 12, 2026
The American Bible Society is warning that Meta’s decision to pull a new AI tool that allowed users to generate images from public Instagram accounts has raised larger questions about emergent AI tech and its impact on ethics and human dignity.
The Christian Post reports that the controversy began July 7 when Meta launched its Muse Image feature, which uses existing photos as input and lets users edit generated images directly through sketches.
The entertainment industry’s largest actors union also shared tips on how to adjust settings on Instagram for members to opt-out of the Muse Image tool and to “take action to protect your likeness” in a SAG-AFTRA statement on July 9.
According to the Christian Post, just three days after launch, on July 10, Meta announced it would discontinue the @-mention feature on Instagram specifically, though Muse Image itself remains available within the Meta AI app and WhatsApp.
Bryce Allison, chief technology officer at the American Bible Society, breaks down what this latest development means for social media users beyond Hollywood.
Allison explained that the Meta episode itself points to a deeper issue, saying, “When someone’s likeness is used without their knowledge or consent, we risk treating a person made in God’s image as raw material rather than someone with inherent dignity.”
When asked how ministries should educate staff and integrate AI training, Allison shared lessons from the American Bible Society’s own experience.
Allison said, “Start with data. That’s where harm arrives first and where the gap between intuition and reality is widest. Ministry staff handle pastoral conversations, counseling notes, benevolence requests and donor records. Almost nobody’s instinct tells them that pasting any of that into a consumer chatbot is a confidentiality breach. Say it explicitly before anything else.”
Photo: top, Credit: Meta/iStock/Kira-Yan