AI image generation has become a global sensation, and one of the latest iterations of it is spreading fast on video blogging app TikTok.
Two different apps have rolled out an AI image generator, which claims to be able to combine the features of two adults to create a photo of their child.
AI Babies
Under the tag #babyaitrend there are hundreds of videos showing AI-generated images of smiling babies, followed in many cases by photos of the user’s actual child.
The images are often eerily similar, and the apps that make them allow users to generate dozens of images relatively quickly.
@rylee1502 Why is this so accurate 😳 #babyaitrend #babyai #babytrend #babyfilter #futurebabyai #mumsoftiktok #mumtok #firsttimemom #newmum ♬ original sound – Rylee ♡
@audreyanne.j wait I kinda see it 😶 #babyaitrend #babyfilter ♬ 3:15 (Slowed Down + Reverb) – Russ
AI Babies Using CapCut
Creating the images involves one of two different apps. As detailed in a Dexerto article by Georgina Smith, one way to create images uses the popular video editing app CapCut.
CapCut is owned by Bytedance, the same company that owns TikTok. The article tells readers to simply add two photos, one of each “parent,” and click to view the results.
AI Babies Using Remini
The other app is called Remini, which is billed as an “AI Photo Enhancer.” TikTok user Katie Feeney posted a video explaining how to use it. Unlike CapCut, Remini requires the user to choose several photos to generate the image.
They also require that users select a “model,” which guides the AI in its image creation. Remini offers a variety of models to choose from, including the baby model, maternity, professional headshots, and a photoshoot generator that creates images based on a pre-selected pose.
@katiefeeneyy Hope this helps!!👶🏼👧🏼 #minime #tutorial #ai ♬ original sound – Katie Feeney
Complications using remini
While some of the comments on Feeney’s video are positive, the majority focus on the problems with the Remini app, specifically the availability of the baby model, the slowness of the image generator, and the cost.
Some users, like Evelyn Sauve, commented that the popular feature simply wasn’t available. “For me, all of those are there except the baby one,” Sauve said.
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A Bit Pricey
While there were several comments regarding the availability of the baby picture option, comments on the price were by far the most common. Multiple users commented saying that the free trial either wasn’t available to them or had limited features that didn’t include the baby generator.
And the price to fully unlock Remini’s many features is surprisingly high. In an article for Fortune.com, Paige Hagy said, “Remini is free to download but requires a subscription to gain access to all of its features […]
Some users took advantage of the free trial week while others were offered a trial week for 99 cents. The standard subscription costs $9.99 weekly.”
Too Slow
Some users took issue with Feeney’s claim that Remini would generate images quickly.
“TEN MINUTES,” commented Isabelle, referring to the time frame Feeney claimed images would be generated in.
The time to generate images is significantly longer, Hegy said. “It took nearly 20 minutes to generate the first round of images when Fortune tested the app, but a note at the bottom of the loading page read, ‘Don’t worry! The first time takes longer, the next will take less than 1 minute!’”
Privacy and Security Risk
Other commenters were concerned about privacy and security. “[What] does the app do with the pics besides the filter?” asked user Floootjennnn.
That’s a concern that security experts share. In an interview with ABC7Chicago’s Samantha Chatman, cyber security expert Dave Barton said he had reservations about Remini.
“Are we unintentionally giving future pictures of our kids for folks who might be using it for malicious purposes? I don’t know,” Barton said. “My gut says, I wouldn’t do it. But, I’m a little bit older and more conservative than a lot of people. If you’re going to do it, understand there are risks.”
Chatman reached out to Remini regarding privacy and security concerns, and received a statement from Remini’s parent company:
“We take data protection and privacy very seriously and have robust protocols in place to ensure we safeguard user rights while allowing them to experience and enjoy the transformative power of generative AI,” the company said.
CapCut’s Downside
With all the concerns about user privacy, price, and availability of features, using CapCut’s filter may seem like the obvious choice. But there is a downside there as well.
“I’m not trying to, like, snitch, or be a buzzkill, or like a hater or anything,” TikToker Allison said with a wink in a video titled AI Baby Trend Explained.
“But I’ve seen that AI baby generator trend and the baby comes out looking exactly like the couple’s kid that’s already alive. And that’s not what’s happening, it’s not by chance that it’s happening.”
The Secret Trick
Allison goes on to demonstrate the secret to generating a perfect AI replica of a real child: using an image of the child to begin with. Unlike Remini, CapCut’s AI baby generator allows you to use just three photos.
“In the first two slots, I put mine and my husband’s [photos],” Allison explains. “And then it gives you the chance to leave […] the third one open, so it will make a little mini version of you. But you can also put a third picture and that’s what everyone’s been doing, is putting a third picture of their actual child, and it comes out looking like their actual child.”
The Truth About AI
Not every AI image works, Allison said. “Some pictures look more like [my daughter] than others, some pictures look horrible.”
Allison said she made the video because she “just wanted to clear things up because I know people were putting in their actual pictures and getting a deformed, small version of themselves. And it’s like, sis, you still cute, people just be cheating on this app.”
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This article was produced by TPR Teaching. Source.
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and founder of TPR Teaching, crafting inspiring pieces that promote the importance of developing new skills. For 7 years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.