Yes old the selfie used as your profile picture disappears a bit also long without refreshing? You may have seen friends use Application Lensa AI to create colorful, custom cartoon images of themselves as ethereal fairies or stern astronauts. Prisma Labs, the company behind Lensa, has gone went viral again in 2016 with a similar (albeit less powerful) app that turns smartphone photos into paintings.
The release of Lensa’s “magic avatar” feature was a global hit for the company. Recent advances in general artificial intelligence allow the application to produce more impressive and varied results than its predecessor. According to rough estimates provided by sensor towermore than 4 million people worldwide downloaded the app in the first five days of December. During that same period, users spent more than $8 million on the app.
Avatar created by AI Make a question However, about digital privacy. If you want to know if using Lensa is a good idea, here are the things you should consider before spending money and uploading your selfies.
Always read the Privacy Policy
Before diving in, take a minute to browse Privacy Policy and terms of use to better understand what the app does with your data. “We must always know when our biometric data is being used for any purpose. This is sensitive data. We should be extremely cautious with how that data is being used,” said david lelieresponsible director of ethics and innovation research at Alan Turing Institute and professor at Queen Mary University of London.
Andrey Usoltsev, CEO and co-founder of Prisma Labs, said the company is working on updating its privacy policy in an email to WIRED. “Lensa uses a copy of the Stable Diffuse model and teaches it to recognize faces on uploaded images on a case-by-case basis. This means there is a separate model for each user,” Usoltsev wrote. “The user’s photo will be deleted from our servers as soon as the avatar is created. The servers are located in the United States.”
While it’s impossible to know exactly how a company is using and storing your data without an independent review, this statement is a step in the right direction. With that in mind, however, uploading is only a small part of a larger equation.
Security implications beyond your uploaded photos
While biometrics may be your initial concern, it’s important to understand the amount of additional data that is automatically collected from your smartphone. Lensa may use third-party analytics, log file information, device identifiers, and registered user information to collect data about you. Skip to part 3 of Privacy Policy to check it out in detail.
Any user can opt-out of such data collection by contacting the company at [email protected]. If you use an iOS device, you have the option to opt out by going to your privacy settings. To be fair, it’s not just Lensa: Every app on your phone is probably collecting more data than you think. Even if you decide to entrust Lensa with your personal data, the data may change hands if the company is acquired in the future. “It’s especially so when it goes into larger companies who are much better at bullshitting the way they talk about it,” said Winter wharfleading AI and human rights projects in Electronic Security Information Center.
Do not import pictures of children or nudity
Inserting images of children or nudity to create images on Lensa is a violation of the terms of use. But even if you don’t enter nudity, women can get results that are over-sex; “The app not only creates nudity, but also assigns sexually suggestive cartoonish features, such as erotic poses and huge breasts, to their images. For example, I got some completely nude results despite only uploading face-to-face shots.” write WIRED contributor Olivia Snow. The app created a disturbing image when Snow uploaded photos of her childhood, changing what should have been a stylized memento into a dehumanizing image. Usoltsev wrote: “Since this feature is not designed for minors, we recommend that you do not use any images of children.
Lenses can also produce sexual images of adults without their consent. “It is a case where there is not enough forethought to protect the dignity of individuals,” says Leslie. “When technology can cause harm, we are prepared to do all we can to anticipate those effects.”
Be prepared for unusual or offensive results
It’s not just fun fingers and second heads, you can also get racist or sexist results when interacting with the general AI. “The internet is full of images that will push AI imagers to subjects that might be most uncomfortable, whether it be pornography or images that can turn AI portraits of people into caricatures. race,” said Fergusson rankone Equal Justice colleagues at EPIC.
Consider the greater impact on real artists
Some artists are Capture the potential Let creative AI produce compelling results. Other things are much more hesitant about the potential impact of technology. “The commercialization of these visualization tools will have an impact on the ability of artists to sustain themselves in the long run,” says Leslie.
While it’s a more expensive route, those who can afford it should consider hiring smaller artists to create digital works for their new profile picture, phone wallpaper or portrait. Instagram and Twitter are full of artists working in different styles that you never get from creative AI, and many of them are eager to take commissions. For a nominal fee, you can get something truly unique and personal. You can even ask around at your community art center and support a local artist.
Try deleting the app afterwards
Let’s say you’ve considered everything above and still decide to spend a few dollars to get a pack of “magic avatars”. Once you’ve saved your colorful creations, check out Lensa’s photo and video editing capabilities. Is this something you want to use often or just another app that will collect digital dust on your smartphone? “Control settings, delete after use, and exercise any and all permissions they give you,” recommends Winters for anyone worried about data collection.
