I have tons of pictures on my phone, but none of them are LinkedIn-worthy. Selfies and group shots can be a great way to remember a moment, but when it comes time to portray my best professional self, they're a little too random.
Sign in artificial intelligence. The latest AI headshot generators promise workplace-ready shots with minimal effort, cobbled together from selfies you probably have handy.
But the space can be confusing to navigate, and it's hard to tell which services really work, especially when they charge more and more money up front — before you've even seen the photos. I went digging through these services so you don't have to.
CONNECTED: What is AI Lens? And does it present privacy and ethical concerns?
I looked at three different AI head generators to see which one worked best, ranging from one free service to two paid ones at different prices. For reference, here are some selfie clips I've uploaded to all three platforms.
While none of the AI generators exactly matched my likeness to different contexts, one came very close.
FastShot AI
This headshot generator produced the least popular image, but at least I didn't have to pay for it.
FastShot AI asks the user to upload just one image to their website and produces a headshot in seconds. The first two shots are free. The problem is, the headshot didn't feel like me at all.
The AI generator has had less than 500 users and has generated less than 2500 photos to date. It's a free entry to AI headshots, but by no means the best.
When I checked Privacy policy, I noticed the following line: “Images of free users are public, while renderings of users who purchase a subscription are private.” Free users concerned about data privacy, beware.
CONNECTED: Richard Branson signs open letter calling to 'Make AI a force for good'
Momo
Momo is the most experimental AI hit generator I've tried. After creating an AI profile in the iOS app, I found that I could search for images on a variety of topics, such as LinkedIn, tattoos, decade-related transformations, fashion, dream jobs, and travel. Under LinkedIn, I can individually select photos in a suit, in the office, on a black background, on a white background, and more. Momo's website states that its service is “preferred by millions”.
I asked for costume photos and business photos. Here are two of the results Momo gave me:
I also asked for a 1940s makeover and this was one of the six photos Momo created:
Before I could generate anything, I had to choose a weekly or annual plan priced at $6.99 per week or $39.99 per year. The service was not worth the money in my opinion because the images didn't look good enough to me. They depicted the Sherins of an alternate universe that was fun to watch, but didn't pass the LinkedIn test.
Aragon AI
Aragon AI asked in-depth questions about hair and eye color, ethnicity, and age range before creating photos. The service required at least six selfies taken on different days, with no mirror or group shots included in the mix. When I uploaded my images, Aragon AI told me which passed the quality control check and which needed to be replaced.
The starter package included 20 headshots with 5 outfits and backgrounds within an hour for $35. The basic package included 40 headers and 25 outfits in 30 minutes for $45 and the premium package gave 100 headers with 50 outfits in 30 minutes for $79.
For reference, professional headers usually cost between $300 and $700 in New York City for 30 minutes with a photographer and a look. Granted, those options personally offer more versatility and a human touch with editing.
I chose the starter package and Aragon AI upgraded me to the premium plan for free. So after 30 minutes, I had 100 high definition headers waiting for me. Here are two:
This service came out on top because it noticed the small details, down to the shape of the glasses I wear. It's not perfect, but it's getting there. Aragon AI appears to have extensive practice in generating images, with more than 15 million created.
Winner
At the end of the day, Aragon AI did the most magic with AI headshots, but its result is still not the LinkedIn profile picture status. The prepayment model that Momo and Aragon AI adopted was detrimental to me because the end results of both of these generators were unusable. The images did not justify the cost.
For a professional headshot, I'll stick to human photographers for now.