An AI Portrait Generator Can Never Do This
Unless stated, all images in this article were made with a camera.
Using an AI portrait generator is becoming commonplace in society. Rather than pay for a portrait photographer, people prefer to use a machine learning model instead. For some it's because it is cheaper. For others it’s because it creates more flattering images, to them at least. But as popular as AI is becoming, there’s one thing it will never be able to do: make people love themselves.
Key Takeaways
AI portrait generation is rapidly growing, with the market expected to to grow exponentially by 2030[1].
While AI portraits can be cheaper initially, long term subscriptions can easily cost in excess of $500 - comparable to hiring a skilled professional photographer.
Unlike AI generators which create idealized but artificial versions of people, professional photographers can help clients appreciate their authentic selves through skilled portraiture and human connection.
AI Portrait Generator: The Facts
Screenshot of PhotoAI.
For the user, using an AI portrait generator is simple. They upload some images of themselves, and within 30 minutes the image generator will present them with some portraits. They can pick a theme, like “office wear” or “street apparel” and the model will create something within the selected style.
It’s becoming big business too. According to Pieter Levels’, the founder of PhotoAI, his app brings in $157,000 each month in revenue. For as little as $17 per month on an annual subscription, you can generate up to 1000 AI portraits. As far as the market goes, it’s one of the best out there.
It’s not the only app available. Midjourney allows you to create AI portraits. There’s also Lensa AI which has over 27,000 user reviews with a 4.6 rating on The App store. People are really buying into this technology, and it's going to grow even further.
In a study by Grand View Research [1], it found “The global AI image generator market size was estimated at USD 349.6 million in 2023 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.7% from 2024 to 2030”.
AI Portrait Generator: The Flaws
The issues with AI portraits are plentiful. Many of them don’t produce photo realistic representations of the subject. The fake look makes it obvious when portraits come from AI. Early this year Them Frames reported on fake AI images at The Met Gala. We noted how the “subjects” have funny looking hands and odd limbs, while also looking fake.
And as cheap as they may feel in comparison to a portrait shoot, that’s only if you’re a one and done user. But if you keep your subscription going, then you can easily pay in excess of $500 per year.
Your credits may include correcting all the flaws the current software produces. For the same price or a little less (sometimes more) you can get high quality portraits from a skilled professional that can give you exactly what you want.
AI Portrait Generator Vs Portrait Photographer
In the opener to this piece, I stated that AI technology can never make a person love themselves. Think about it. An AI image is a false representation of a person. They may look like a Hollywood super star thanks to a prompt, but deep in their mind, they’ll know that’s not who they are. I find it hard to believe this can boost a person's confidence and self esteem.
By the way, there’s nothing wrong with not being a superstar, and that’s where the role of a skilled photographer comes in. They listen to a person, they understand how they feel about themselves and they are able to create a set of images that show they're perfect as they are.
Photo by Ivan Weiss.
Take this independent Google review of professional portrait photographer Ivan Weiss. It says, “... Ivan’s ability to create a comfortable atmosphere was remarkable. The final headshots reflect my authentic self.”
I recently did a boudoir style shoot with a friend. They would always tell me they felt ugly in photos.
They had thought about using an AI portrait generator, but I convinced her to do a shoot with me, pro bono. In response to the final set of images, she wrote to me, “I feel like Miss Universe in your photos…”. I often get similar feed back when doing street portrait photography.
Away from hyping myself up, the point here is that photographers understand other humans. They get the insecurities, but they also have a good eye for the beauty within every individual they photograph. Portrait photographers can uplift a person and help them love their true self. AI can only make them love the person they think they should be – which one would you prefer?
Signing Off
This is by no means an attack on AI images. If the technology is there and people want to use it, then I’m in full support. But, I think it’s also clear where society is heading. Deep into a world of make believe which I feel can never lead to long lasting empowerment.
Portrait photography represents a real life event that you can cherish and look back on. When a portrait photographer does a good job, you get to look at the results and say “hey that’s me!”. There’s no asterisk next to it saying “it’s not really me because a MLM made it”.
I know which experience I would want to invest in, but that’s me. Do you see the human benefits to using a portrait photographer, or would you prefer an AI image generator? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading.
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