Integritus Prime

Lately, I’ve been noticing that so many people are sharing images that sort of look like them, and in various genres, including spiritual, whimsical, and anime. Eventually, being the late technology adopter that I am, I decided to try it. I was drawn to the spiritual style, but ironically, not many of the spiritual photos generated by the app looked like me.

In any case, I found the experience interesting, and talked about it with my brothers, both of whom saw it as a positive experience. But is it? I guess, like anything in life, this could be seen as positive and negative.

The process is simple. Basically, you download an app, upload some selfies and for a small fee, it spits out 100 photos that use your selfies to create images that apply your features in myriad ways, using artificial intelligence (AI).

For me, it was positive in these ways:

1. I found the portraits creative and imaginative – I got to see applications of my face in different genres and styles. Now I know what I might look like as an anime character, for instance.
2. It was interesting to see how the technology was blending my facial features into its templates – and to visually trace what the app got right and where it fell short.
3. I loved the colors, styles, and depictions. My absolute favorite was the ones with rainbow colors, as I’m a staunch LGBTQIA+ ally.
4. I loved the way my wild hair was depicted, it felt true to me, ha!

I also reflected on how such portraits might be a negative experience:

1. If we become obsessed with these depictions, and lose sight of ourselves as we are, especially if we reject or ignore our actual appearance, this could be damaging to our identity, self-image, and self-love.
2. Relatedly, it could actually lower our self-esteem or be depressing to notice how different we look compared to these portraits, which are heavily retouched.
3. Like any other pursuit of entertainment on social media, it might become an unhealthy escape from reality, where we spend more time in a fantasy world and less time being present in our actual lives.
4. Comparison with others’ portraits may result in negative self-talk or lowered confidence, especially for young people who are living in a selfie culture.

As we explore ways of using AI, it’s important to be mindful of how it affects us. There could be positive and negative effects. Share some thoughts on how you’ve interacted with AI, and how it has affected you.