Every time I open LinkedIn and see my profile picture, I cringe because it’s fake.
A few months ago, I took a few selfies at work for a new headshot and asked ChatGPT to extend the blue background behind me.
Even though I’ve heard it many times do not have To edit my face, I made some subtle changes. My eyes look a little squinted and my smile widens a little. It also has a soft, airbrush-like texture that softens the impression of the image. myself.
Original photo (left) and AI edited version (right). This is your current LinkedIn profile photo. Ana Alczek
For the next few months, I was transfixed by that photo, wondering if anyone else had noticed that it had been altered by AI. That delusion raised another question: Were the other people’s profile pictures fake too?
Over the past few months, I’ve seen AI headshots fill my feed, promising polished, professional portraits without the hassle of hiring a photographer. My editor, who had heard many of my complaints about my profile picture, suggested I give it a try. Which images will people prefer? Will the average viewer be able to tell the difference?
I asked for feedback on LinkedIn
First, I tested an AI headshot generator that required you to upload a few photos of yourself. Depending on the service, tool promise You can get 10 to 100 studio-quality headshots for about $30 to $100.
The results were impressive at first glance, but upon closer inspection, many of the images looked fake. Some of the backgrounds looked like green screens, the proportions were slightly off, and my editor noted that my hair had a cartoonish quality in almost every background.
Rather than pay for images, I gave the same quota to the free versions of ChatGPT Enterprise and Gemini.
I also asked Business Insider’s art director to take a few photos of me in the office. The art team then lightly edited it and sharpened it with filters. Just like professional photographers do. I uploaded that main shot along with 4-5 other reference photos of my face and submitted it to LLM. new Create headshots based on these images and match them with your office background.
After a few more instructions, including repeating the prompt many times, Gemini produced an image that was surprisingly close to the real thing.
They then posted the side-by-side photos on LinkedIn and asked for comments on which one was the real deal. Surprisingly, the vote was so close that even if I updated my profile without saying a word, no one would have questioned it.
One user commented, “It looks clearer on the right, so maybe it’s better that way? Or maybe it’s been edited. But honestly, I’m not sure.”
LinkedIn said in a statement to Business Insider that AI can enhance and edit photos, but the photos “must reflect who you are.”
“We encourage profile photos to be authentic as it helps maintain trust,” a spokesperson said, adding that profile photos that do not comply with our user agreement or professional community policies may be removed.
Should you use AI headshots?
An even more surprising result of my test was that most respondents said they preferred AI-generated headshots by a roughly 2:1 ratio. The AI version features a blazer and silk shirt, which might make more sense on a pro platform, but I didn’t expect there to be such a difference between the two.
“On the right are more friendly, junior roles, on the left are higher paying, more senior jobs,” one commenter wrote, garnering 52 likes.
The tilt of my neck in my actual photo was also a big point of contention. Most people said that the angle made the photo look unpolished. Others said it made me look more approachable; Some said it was not an advantage for women in the professional field.
Vanessa Erekart, a professor and personal branding expert at the University of California, Davis School of Business, told Business Insider that while people may think and say they prefer a more polished headshot, their actions often suggest otherwise.
In fact, she said, consumer behavior shows that people are attracted to authenticity. Who is Elecart? The authors of “Valuable & Visible: Redefining Personal Branding by Leading With Impact Over Image” pointed to research showing that consumers prefer user-generated content over traditional advertising because it feels more authentic. He also cited research showing that influencers who openly admit their failures are perceived as more authentic and consumers are more likely to buy from them.
“In marketing, we always say trust what people do, not what they’re going to do,” Erekart said, adding that this phenomenon is often the reason political polls are wrong.
She advised users not to use even AI-generated headshots or highly edited professional photos if they have an alternative. Erekart added that casual headshots are more acceptable than ever in today’s job market. As long as you have a profile picture, most people don’t care if it was taken by a professional.
Amy Perrotta, a career branding advisor and founder of Needa Strategy Group LLC, told Business Insider that AI-generated headshots are fine to use as long as they really look like you. But changing appearance through AI can undermine trust, especially now that people are more wary of fraud.
Rather than generating entirely new images, Perrotta recommends using AI-powered photo editing tools to subtly improve existing photos.
“Don’t make yourself look like a cartoon or do something crazy in the background,” Perrotta says.
It might be a good idea to take a photo of yourself.