Exploring the Controversial Trend: AI Avatar as a Catalyst for Self-Expression or Copy Right Infringement?
Last November of 2022, the Lensa AI app exploded. Here are my personal thoughts.
Written in November of 2022:
With the Lensa AI app exploding into mainstream popularity, is it ethical to generate images with models and algorithms that were trained using other people’s original artwork?
Is this the “Napster” for the art industry? Here is an article that discusses the hot AI art controversy. The article is JUICY. Prisma Labs, owners of Lensa AI, responded to the article on Twitter:
From a user experience (ME), this app experience was a blast. I loved selecting my own photos and seeing my face turn into sci-fi, cosmic, galactic Guardians of the Galaxy-type portraits.
The Lensa App, truly sucked me into their magic avatar feature. I spent 3-4 hours of my time, paid $15.97, and even created a video of my beautiful, mystical, ethereal avatars.
Why did I do this? Bc I was at the right cocktail mix of boredom, FOMO, depression, overwhelm, anxiety, and curiosity to zombie trance into a new creative endeavor that actually lifted my spirits and got me out of a personal “funk.”
I was very skeptical at first and mad hating on people who were posting their avatars… until I tried it myself — and then giggled in uncontrollable glee at my new and improved “Tori Madison” 3.0 self-portraits.
After reading more into the controversy, I still love my photos, but I do wonder if it is ethical or fair for artists. What will the future of art look like? Prisma Labs answers in the images below:
Are we entering a digital artistic renaissance where becoming a digital artist can be made available to the masses? Are these new apps replacing the “Art for Dummies,” book series? Are these images even considered art?
I’m still not sure who will see the photos of me in a bikini that I uploaded to the platform… and have no idea what will be created from my face and body in the future…I probably should have read the fine print. Using this app could potentially cause the rapid acceleration of the artificial intelligence movement where fake ads were made by photos of real people - a MASS DEEPFAKE is the era we are approaching.
Buuut it was definitely an invigorating, cheap high for a few hours that left a lasting feel-good impression on my inner confidence and self-worth. 😂 Sad, I know…I’m still inspired and fascinated by the images it chose for me, and I definitely feel like a Guardians of the Galaxy Princess who can now cleanse my 70,000 email inbox, with motivation to do other epic sh*t, like clean the dishes in the sink.
Besides, a few weeks ago, I paid $500 for an art cover for one of my new music singles. (I can’t wait to share it!) Although I do love the artist and the digital art they made for my new song, money is tight. Had I known about Lensa AI magic avatars, would I have used it instead? I’ll leave you guessing…
In the process of developing my avatars, I went back through all my favorite photos of myself over the past year, and I was able to reflect on some amazing moments in my life that brought deep gratitude. It was a huge boost in my personal self-confidence. To me, this was a form of play, which is necessary for our well-being.
I go back and forth between, “Is the future of technology good for us or terrible for humanity?”
Ultimately, I believe in real personal connections with people because we all have an aura and energy that we emit that can be felt by others. I believe in real in-person meetups, real conversations, and authenticity.
What inspired me about this experience was using AI as a form of freedom of expression. I can see how this technology can be used to spark confidence but also spark creativity and new ideas. I want to utilize these photos that AI chose for me and incorporate them into real photo shoots. I’m not a professional model, but through AI, I became a virtual one… my hair, makeup, and style were changed right before my eyes. It was fun, powerful, and an overall positive experience.
In the video linked above, I used my song and my voice in the background. This song is one of my first “soundscapes” that I will be creating to help myself and my body heal from depression, anxiety, grief, sorrow, etc. I loved adding my voice and song to my AI photos.
We are multifaceted beings. We are light-bodied, energetic beings. There is so much more to us than what the natural eye can see and perceive. Although this AI experience changed the physical representation of my personhood, I also noticed an energetic shift within. I had more energy. I think it brought out my playfulness and creativity as I selected the photos to use, but also showed me what’s possible for future branding ideas, etc.
Creative expression is one of our greatest gifts, and I believe that we slide into funks or linger in unhappiness and depression when our creativity is stifled.
It makes me wonder why apps like these go viral. I personally believe it is because people want to express themselves creatively and that, perhaps, there is much unhappiness within our current societal structures, standards, and limitations with miminum options for our soul’s artistic expression. In actuality, there are many paths and ways to explore this, however, the mundane seems to cloud our seeing. We are creative beings. It’s create or die. When we don’t create, it’s a slow death of the soul. Creating can look like many things: writing, dancing, cooking, gardening, sex, painting, drawing, coding, sports, etc. We can literally create new life and birth new life into this world! Look around you; everything you see has been created, and it began with a thought, a vision, a dream, a purpose, a hope, a love, and now an AI image prompt.
So cheers to the creators; WE are the visionaries that make this world go round.
#lensaAI
#avatar
#metaverse
#web3
#metaspiritual
#mentalhealth
#futureofwork
My favorite photos from LensaAI:
