You’ve probably seen friends using the Lensa AI app to create colorful, personalized drawings of themselves as ethereal fairies or stern astronauts. Prisma Labs, the company behind Lensa, went viral in 2016 with a similar (if much less successful) app that turned smartphone photos into paintings.
The launch of Lensa’s “magic avatars” feature is a global success for the company. Recent advances in generative artificial intelligence allow the app to produce more impressive and varied results than its predecessor. According to preliminary estimates provided by Sensor Tower, over 4 million people worldwide downloaded the app during the first five days of December. In that same period, users spent over $8 million on the app.
However, AI-generated profile pictures have always raised questions about a very important topic: digital privacy. If you’re curious whether it’s a good idea to use Lensa, here’s what you should consider before spending money and uploading your selfies. Always read the Privacy Policy
Always read an app’s Privacy Policy terms
Before you start using the app of the moment, take a minute to browse the privacy policy and terms of use to better understand what the app does with your data. “TWe need to always be vigilant when our biometric data is being used for any purpose. This is sensitive data. We must be extremely cautious with how this data is being used,” says David Leslie, director of ethics and responsible innovation research at the Alan Turing Institute and professor at Queen Mary University of London.
Andrey Usoltsev, CEO and co-founder of Prisma Labs, stated that the company is working to update the privacy policy in an email to WIRED. He says:
“Lensa uses a copy of the Stable Diffusion model and teaches it to recognize the face in the uploaded images in each particular case. This means that there is a separate model for each individual user,” writes Usoltsev. “User photos are deleted from our servers once avatars are generated. The servers are located in the US.”
The security implications beyond your imported photos
While it’s impossible to know exactly how a company is using and storing its data without an independent assessment, this statement is a move in the right direction. With that in mind, however, uploads are only a small part of the bigger equation. Security implications beyond your uploaded photos
While biometrics may be your initial concern, it’s also crucial to understand how much additional data 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. Go to section 3 of the privacy policy to check it in detail.
Any user can opt out of 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 might think. It is worth remembering that even if you decide to entrust your personal data to Lensa, it is quite possible that the data will change hands if the company is acquired in the future.
Do not import photos of children or nudity
It goes against the terms of use to insert images of children or nudity to generate images in Lensa. But even if you don’t insert the famous “nudes”, women can receive hypersexual results; “The app not only generates nudes, but also assigns sexualized cartoonish features, such as sensual poses and gigantic breasts, to your images. I, for one, have received several fully nude results despite only submitting headshots,” writes Olivia Snow for the international website WIRED. The app generated disturbing images when Snow uploaded his childhood photos, turning what would have been stylized memories into inhumane images.
Be prepared for strange or offensive results
It’s not just funny fingers and second heads, you can also receive racist or sexist results when interacting with generative AI. “The Internet is full of images that will lead AI imagers into topics they may not be the most comfortable with, whether it be sexually explicit images or images that might change AI portrayals of people into racial caricatures,” says Grant Fergusson, an Member of Justice Works.
Consider the impact for real artists that AI-generated imagery in the app is having
Some people are embracing the potential of generative AI to produce interesting results. Other people, however, are much more hesitant about the technology’s possible repercussions. ??The commercialization of these imagers will have an impact on the artists’ ability to sustain themselves in the long term.says Leslie.
Instagram and Twitter are full of artists working in a variety of styles you could never get with generative AI, and many of them are eager for commissions. For a nominal fee, you can get something truly unique and personal. You can even ask at the community art center and support a local artist. Try deleting the app afterwards.
Try deleting the app later
Let’s say you’ve considered all of the above and still decided to spend a few bucks to get a “magic avatars” pack. After saving your colorful creations, check out the photo and video editing features in Lensa. Is this something you want to use often, or is it just another app collecting digital dust on your smartphone? If you are not going to use the app very often, uninstalling it from your phone might be a good idea.
This article used as its main source the writing by Reece Rogers to the website WIRED.
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