Artificial intelligence start-ups are selling images of computer-generated faces that look like the real thing, offering companies a chance to create imaginary models and “increase diversity” in their ads without needing human beings.
One firm is offering to sell diverse photos for marketing brochures and has already signed up clients, including a dating app that intends to use the images in a chatbot. Another company says it’s moving past AI-generated headshots and into the generation of full, fake human bodies as early as this month.
The AI software used to create such faces is freely available and improving rapidly, allowing small start-ups to easily create fakes that are so convincing they can fool the human eye. The systems train on massive databases of actual faces, then attempt to replicate their features in new designs.
Not sure what I think of this article, however I know that many companies use models for their brochures and promotions, not actual employees, so is this any different? Fake people instead of models.
Yes it surprised me as well when I read the article.
For me it depends on the context.
These tools make sense in movies for extras without lines (I think 'living scenery' is the term used) and may have a place in highly scripted chat bot work helping users with first level support before transferring to people when needed.
I don't like this being used when the appearance of actual people is a relevant factor in the product being sold like dating sites, cosmetics, and appearance medicine.
There could be interesting impacts on bias and perception if these faces are used as stand-ins for reviews of medication/treatment where privacy is usually heightened (mental health, sexual health etc) and anonymous speakers on the news where their identify needs to be private.
Great points @Kat Warner - I can definitely see the benefits where privacy is a factor and living scenery, and I agree, for items being sold it feels a bit "fraudulent" to me, more so than than the other examples being used.
I know that Atlassian uses actual employees in their videos - just last week they were looking for volunteers for the latest productions. I think it really does make the end product more authentic.
That's really great to hear! It is so much more meaningful when it is real employees representing their workplace brand.