TikTok may be working on bringing AI-generated profile avatars for users on the platform.
According to social media consultant Matt Navarra on Twitter, and as originally reported by The Verge, it seems like users will be able to have headshots digitally enhanced by artificial intelligence.
It looks like something from Prisma Labs’ Lensa app, but the new feature would be built into TikTok, meaning users can have AI-generated avatars on their profiles.
According to Navarra, users can only use the AI Avatar tool once per day. It will require users to upload 3-10 images of themselves to allow it to then generate up to 30 different avatars.
As you can read in Navarra’s Twitter thread below, TikTok says that it will delete users’ uploaded images and the AI-generated avatars from its servers after five minutes. For users of ‘Plus’ (whatever that is?), TikTok will instantly delete your photos after the avatars are generated.
TikTok has a NEW generative AI avatar creator! 🤖🎨📷
View thread to see what it can do 👇 pic.twitter.com/TDBbwok6bt
— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) April 25, 2023
That means if you wish to generate more avatars, you’ll have to upload more images of yourself.
Obviously, images (both uploaded and generated) will have to go through content moderation to ensure they comply with TikTok’s community guidelines.
As Navarra points out, TikTok is expected to allow you to pick up to five different styles for the AI to use when it generates the 30 avatar profile images. It then takes a couple of minutes to generate the avatars.
Once generated, you’ll supposedly be able to download as many avatars as you wish. You can also share the avatar to your TikTok story and upload it as your profile picture.
It’ll be interesting to see if this feature does end up rolling out on TikTok and how the AI-generated avatars will look. It’ll be even more interesting to see how lawmakers across the globe react to TikTok using built-in artificial intelligence based on users’ images.
Additionally, it’ll be interesting to see how TikTok users respond to the feature, given the controversy AI image generators have picked up over the past year.