Lensa won't replace artists but it could force them to lower their prices

Lensa
One of my real self portraits vs a magic avatar (Image credit: Hannah Rooke / Lensa)

Last week we reported about the latest app of the moment; Lensa. The AI-powered photo editing tool has a brand new feature that’s made it a viral sensation. The introduction of magic avatars has catapulted it to the top of both the Apple and Android app charts, but there is some concern over how ethical Lensa really is. 

Creating a set of alternative versions of yourself might just seem like a little bit of fun but it has some serious implications for the creative community – especially digital artists. Lensa is taught different artistic styles using a deep learning model called Stable Diffusion. Using art found on the internet, it’s been taught the nuances between different genres of digital illustration such as fantasy, iridescent, and anime. It then combines this knowledge with selfies you upload to create avatars that look like you. 

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Hannah Rooke
Freelance contributor

Having studied Journalism and Public Relations at the University of the West of England Hannah developed a love for photography through a module on photojournalism. She specializes in Portrait, Fashion and lifestyle photography but has more recently branched out in the world of stylized product photography. Hannah spent three years working at Wex Photo Video as a Senior Sales Assistant, using her experience and knowledge of cameras to help people buy the equipment that is right for them. With eight years experience working with studio lighting, Hannah has run many successful workshops teaching people how to use different lighting setups.