They’ve likely flooded your timelines, but are there privacy or ethical concerns about these AI-generated portraits?
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00:00You've probably seen these AI self-portraits take over social media within the past week,
00:04but we need to talk about the concerns some have regarding data security and the artistic ethics.
00:09The viral images were created with an app called Lenso, which has been around since 2018.
00:13It debuted a new feature last month called Magic Avatars, which morphs selfies into a series of
00:18stylized digital portraits. For $3.99, users can upload 10 to 20 photographs of themselves to
00:23produce 50 original images. However, some people are skeptical about how their data is being used
00:28via Lenso, comparing it to 2020's Viral Face app, which stated it may store updated photos
00:32in the cloud for performance and traffic reasons. Lenso's parent company, Prisma,
00:36claims it does not use the images provided other than to apply filters and effects to them,
00:41but its privacy policy does state they retain personal data for a time not specified.
00:45Individuals can, however, email Prisma to request deletion of any personal data provided through
00:50Lenso. Another criticism against the AI art in general is citing that these pieces are either
00:55stealing from or erasing the work of artists.