I work in a company which are using google’s gemini for making the profile images of all employees look more professional. I resisted at first but this was my first job, so I gave in.
Now I was thinking to launch a personal side brand and was thinking if I should do it myself or not for creating professional image using Gemini from my real image or not.
My privacy mindset is stopping me but that images looks really good. Do you have any advice for such situations?
Is there any privacy respecting AI chat software that allow editing and generating images as well?
What do you mean by “professional image”? There are tools out there already to enhance images. What, specifically, have you experienced and makes you want to use it again?
If you want to represent authenticity in your personal brand, get a real professional photo done and not with AI. At some point, people will realize it’s AI.
But that’s my opinion. I personally would not trust one who can’t make the effort for their own brand, let alone anything else they may be selling.
Being new to the corporate world, I was told that a professional image would be something in a formal attire with perfect lighting, background, glow on face etc. all sorts of bs.
Now I could have contacted some photographers who would have done this for me but my company wanted to cover normal every day selfies and use the AI to convert them into professional images, so they could test AI software for future usecases.
No, I seriously rejected their offer of using an AI. In fact, I wanted to go to a shop or photographer to capture a professional photo for me.
But my company (first one btw so I don’t know too much about corporate culture yet) rejected that as they wanted to test AI software for image generation and they made us provide our normal everyday selfie images to convert it them into professional looking photos that could be used on social media profile such as LinkedIn.
To be honest while I did hate that idea. Initially the images that were generated by that free software was really good. I was thinking to create a personal brand and use those AI software to generate one.
@Usef raises some very good points here and is a bit of a dilemma everyone will experience at some point whether that be in their professional or personal* lives.
Sticking to the case in point, there’s some ethical and contractural points you raise, as well as legal ones regarding DPA, GDPR and even Human Rights - depending on where you are there may be more or less. Whether that is how the employer processes your data and also what you’re agreeable to and protections in law.
Many years ago, an employer sent me to have a professional image taken to be printed on business cards. Fine, I thought. However, a year or so later they revamped their website and put everyone’s images on there. I complained but was seen as ‘the awkward child’. I parted ways shortly after.
Since then, I’ve worked in places where articles were written and where I have been quoted. Again, I did not want my image published. Some have been fine with this, but some were very awkward about it.
This was before ‘AI’ as we now know it. I’d be deeply concerned and insistent on not processing my data in this way. I absolutely get your point and concerned by:
And
And
That is an absolute “NO” from me and I’d point blank refuse irrespective of whatever nefarious ways they would try and discredit me. But I do appreciate this isn’t easy, especially as you’re new to the corporate world. What is encouraging, though, is that you’ve come here and raised some good points and critical thinking.
Out of interest, how did you “reject their offer of using an AI” initially? How did that go? Did your contract include any such clause? Does your employer tell you they use Google to process your data? What is their stance on biometric data processing? Do they have a specific AI policy?
It wasn’t “free”. Nothing is “free” and you will have signed part of your data soul away here. On this “free” site, what did it say in their privacy terms or other terms and conditions?
This dilemma is well documented recently across many legal sites and parliaments:
The above is not exhaustive. I fully expect to see more of this and many, many litigation cases.
As for your question around privacy-respecting AI, there are some solutions out there but I’d urge caution. Some purport to provider higher levels of privacy such as Stable Diffusion and zsky. Or Topaz Labs. You need to be looking at where images are uploaded and how they are stored (if they even are - some will be at device level but may require further download of software). The above are not my recommendations as it would require further research.
Off Topic *Personal
I mentioned personal as well as professional lives. We all have those friends or family members that are click-happy. A selfie here, a selfie there or a family portrait they want Mark Zuckerberg to hang on his virtual portrait wall. As a rule, I don’t allow pictures of me to be taken as what happens to this data is out of my control. I don’t have social media, either. It is unnecessary brain rot. This extends to include LinkedIn which is, in my opinion, teeming with people who live with anxieties and NPD exacerbated by lack of confidence and abilities. This is not to say it is everyone, but: it’s not a place for me. Particularly due to privacy and the data it processes!
You do have a choice. You go along with it or you a steadfast and reject this. We are all at the whim of trusting third parties and what they do with data they hold pertaining to you.
You can exercise this choice - and in many times ‘rights’ - in your personal and professional life. Just be prepared for repercussions from the sheep who don’t understand your concern with data privacy.