So, AI wants to turn you into a digital action figure. Cool, right? Except, like that free lunch your boss promised, there’s probably a catch. Let’s dive into the uncanny valley, shall we?
From Selfie to Super-Selfie: The Allure of AI Image Generators
It starts innocently. A friend shares their AI-generated superhero avatar. You chuckle, intrigued. Five minutes later, you’re uploading your own mug, wondering if you’d make a better Jedi or Sith. The draw is undeniable. Seeing yourself reimagined, even in a cartoonish way, taps into our vanity… or maybe just our boredom.
As Peter Salib, AI expert and UH professor, puts it, “People are making kind of silly cartoon images of themselves.” Harmless enough, right? Except, the internet remembers everything, even your questionable fashion choices from 2008. And, crucially, AI learns.
The Price of Admission: Your Face, Forever
The core question: what happens to your selfie after you click ‘upload’? The answer, predictably, isn’t straightforward.
“If you put something on the internet, it can be used in various ways,” Salib warns. “It can be copied. It can [be] pasted… The company that you upload it to may use it for various things.”
In other words, that AI company now has a piece of you. They might use it to train their model, meaning future AI-generated images could bear an unsettling resemblance to your Aunt Mildred. Is that a huge deal? Probably not. But is it something to consider? Absolutely.
Think of the Children! (And Their Digital Footprints)
The stakes get higher when kids enter the picture. Parents are increasingly wary of posting their children’s photos online. This AI trend presents a similar dilemma. Do you really want a tech company potentially using your child’s likeness to train its algorithms? It’s a valid concern.
Salib notes that, under many terms of service, OpenAI (or similar companies) could use uploaded images to train their AI. This means “somebody in the future [could] prompt the AI to make an image that looks sort of like your kid.” A chilling thought.
Deepfakes and Other Horrors: The Dark Side of AI
While action-figure avatars are mostly harmless, the underlying technology has a darker side. Deepfakes – AI-generated fake videos or images – are a growing concern. Imagine someone uploading your photo and prompting the AI to create an image of you doing something… unsavory.
“You can imagine that someone who doesn’t like you takes your image and uploads it… not [to] turn this into a cute action figure, but… make me a picture of this person committing a crime,” says Salib.
Major AI companies are (supposedly) working to prevent such misuse. And defamation laws exist to protect your reputation should a deepfake surface. But prevention is always better than cure, especially when dealing with the Wild West that is the internet.
Terms and Conditions Apply: Read Before You Upload
No one’s suggesting you swear off the internet and live in a cabin in the woods (though the thought is tempting some days). However, a little caution goes a long way. Before jumping on the next viral AI trend, take a moment to read the fine print. Understand what rights you’re giving up when you upload your photo.
Today it’s action figures. Tomorrow? AI-generated personalized ads featuring your face hawking questionable products. Or worse.
As Salib concludes, “Most people sort of don’t care… Unless you are, for example, a working artist who really wants to keep your own art outside of the training set, it’s probably not a huge concern.” But even superheroes read the small print.
Five Second Rules for the AI Uploading Game
- Read the Terms: Know what you’re agreeing to. Seriously.
- Think Before You Upload: Your face might end up in unexpected places.
- Get Permission: Don’t upload other people’s photos without asking.
- Avoid Sensitive Images: Keep private stuff offline.
- Remember: The Internet Never Forgets. Your digital footprint is forever.
So, enjoy the AI action figure craze. But do so with your eyes (and legal team) wide open.
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