We aren’t here to ban AI all together but we are writing this blog to make a clear statement. Tools have been built that blur the line between imagination and reality. Plain and simple.
Even if you aren’t at the point where you are uploading your image into Chat GPT and getting it to edit a new version or a completely new picture, you’ve been faced with AI. Logging into Facebook one day I saw an “avatar” option and then beside it suggested images of myself. Facebook had taken my profile picture and started creating alternate images of me in different costumes, backgrounds, locations entirely. It hadn’t technically created these images yet but they were there as suggestions highlighted at the top of my feed. We call that prime real estate in the social media world! And it was clear to me that Facebook wanted me to partake in the new feature.
I hit the good all mute, snooze, hide, whatever it was that week to get it off of my feed. Not because I necessarily had a big feeling or reaction towards it but just because it was not needed. It wasn’t something I needed to spend my time on or possibly get sucked into.
People can quickly fall down a rabbit hole of AI is creating images of themselves. It can start off as a trending prompt that everyone is doing and turn into editing every photo of themselves. Regardless if your flawless and beautiful in real life, AI will find something to smooth out, to change to manipulate and that’s where people can get tripped up.
Within Misty Saves the Day, there are several photographers or retired photographers so we are not new to photo editing and the tools that come with it. But this makes us keenly aware of when AI is taking it to far.
The dangers of AI generated images:
1. The Body Dysmorphia Trap
2. The Unrealistic Comparison Loop
3. Training Data Integration
4. Trends bypass critical thinking
Viral AI image trends are carefully designed to override normal privacy concerns through psychological manipulation techniques. Here are a few findings about why trends appear safer and get people to let their guard down, from an article we recently read:
Social Proof: Seeing friends and celebrities participate creates powerful pressure to join in, making the activity seem safer than it actually is.
FOMO and Urgency: Trends have artificial lifespans that create urgency. People upload photos quickly to avoid missing out, bypassing normal security considerations.
Aesthetic Appeal: The impressive visual results distract from underlying risks. People focus on how cool the output looks rather than what’s happening to their input data.
Simplicity Illusion: One-click photo transformation makes the process seem simple and harmless, hiding the complex data processing happening behind the scenes.
(Quoted from Medium: The Hidden Dangers of AI Image Trends.)
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