[NEWS IN FOCUS] ‘Korean-style’ AI photos become social media hit, create ID headache

The power of AI has found its way into profile pictures in Korea, creating a social media phenomenon dubbed the "Korean-style AI profile".

Fans of the girl group Le Sserafim feed in photos of the members to create AI-powered headshots. [SNOW]

The power of AI has found its way into profile pictures in Korea, creating a social media phenomenon dubbed the "Korean-style AI profile".

When users upload 10 to 20 pictures of themselves in a photo editing app, the AI will turn the photos into what it deems as "beautiful" using its own algorithms. Feeding as many photos as possible into the app enables people to receive photos with a closer resemblance to themselves.

Some users even mix it up, creating AI profiles that resemble both themselves and their aspiring celebrities by feeding the app with their photos too.

Some users are trying to have the headshots — set in palette colors with distinctively blurry, dainty depictions of facial features — as a means of identification, beyond just uploading them on their social media accounts.

Attempts to use such pictures as a verification photo for a national ID card — such as for their passports, registration cards or driver's licenses — was restricted by the government in June, since the photos do not represent the actual appearance of a person.

However, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety has not implemented specific regulations or bans to prohibit the submission of such photos. Although the ministry declared in June that AI profiles, which make it difficult to decipher the actual person, cannot be used as photos to prove people’s identity, it is up to the workers' personal judgment at district offices to veto such photos when submitted, without any government guidelines to follow.

Poster from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety requesting people not to submit AI-generated photos as a means to prove their identification [MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR AND SAFETY]

While the photos function acceptably for entertainment-related purposes, experts are calling for regulations when used for official documents.

“Some who advocate the submission of AI profiles argue that their faces get photoshopped to some extent anyway when they take a picture at a photo studio,” said Prof. Kim Myung-joo at the Department of Information Security at Seoul Women’s University. “They say, ‘then what’s the difference?’ but when their faces get altered to the point where it’s difficult to recognize their original self, they get rejected, especially when there are stricter identification screenings, like passports."

Prof. Kim suggests following a precedent set by the European Union, which is pushing to label AI-generated photos to distinguish them from the actual photos.

“What the European Union is pushing for with its AI Act is to watermark AI-generated content,” he said. “So if someone turns in an AI profile, they will automatically be dismissed because of the label. If they don’t [put the watermark], then we can sort them out through technology, which I believe will progress to distinguish what is AI-generated and what is not.”

Camera editing app Snow has been the forerunner of this hype. Snow, a subsidiary under the internet giant Naver, is one of the most popular apps for users to create AI profiles. The app rolled out its AI Profile service in May, and within a month, the number of service users surpassed 1.5 million. Boosted by its domestic popularity, the service was quickly updated to be made available for users in Japan, Thailand and Indonesia.

It is also seen as a plus that it only takes a couple of dollars to receive the photos quickly, unlike the headshots taken at a professional photo studio. Snow requires users to pay 3,300 won ($2.48) to receive a couple of AI-powered photographs in 24 hours, 6,600 won to receive them within an hour.

Quarterly revenue for the April-June period for Snow jumped 30.4 percent on year to 35.8 billion won to which Kim Nam-sun, Naver’s chief financial officer, stated “was boosted by the popularity of the AI Profile service within Snow.”

According to market tracker Sensor Tower, Snow has accumulated $20 million in revenue globally since its launch in 2016, and 90 percent of the revenue was generated this year, as AI profiles became trendy.

AI-powered photos generated by Snow depict celebrities from the local variety show "I Live Alone" in baby portraits. [SNOW]

Amidst such hype, other companies are entering the business with different photogenic concepts to lure users to such platforms. Mobile carrier SK Telecom released a feature dubbed "AI Motion Profile" in its AI platform "A." By loading a minimum of five pictures, the AI generates multiple photos as well as videos of users posing in different versions, offering different photo concepts from headshots to watercolor painting portraits. Plus, it is free of charge.

AI startup Paradot's photo editing app Carat Camera also rolled out a paid feature that provides multiple AI-generated headshots for the cost of 6,000 won, while KakaoBrain's "Be^ Discover" provides synthesized images of the users as if they are a character from fantasy films or games for a minimum cost of 1,900 won.

These AI profiles have become a plaything on social media as people often upload and share with others via hashtags. They are pleased with the polished versions that AI generates, and boasting about them online has become a trend as word-of-mouth spreads and others are tempted to try them out.

Kim Se-jung, a 21-year-old, wanted to try out the AI profiles as her friends on social media began to showcase beautified versions of themselves on social media. Because the photos are generated based on what AI deems as beautiful and handsome, their true selves are subtly reflected in them, which is one of the attractions of the trend, according to Kim, who was pleased with the outcome.

“At first, I was flabbergasted because the person in the photos seemed to portray a completely different person,” Kim told the Korea JoongAng Daily. “But upon closer inspection, I was overall satisfied with the photos because I could spot bits of resemblance, and some of them looked so natural. It was great to see a desired physical portrait of myself.”

A 25-year-old surnamed Na tried an AI profile on Snow for the sake of entertainment and was curious to find out how AI would depict her.

“Using an AI profile was a fad and a lot of my friends were uploading their profile pics via Instagram,” she said. “I saw them and was curious to see how my picture would look like if the app puts on various makeup and different hairstyles. Going to a photo studio won’t be able to change my style nor are they cheap, but this only cost around $3!”

However, Na was disappointed with the results, unlike her other friends who uploaded the results via posts or reels.

“None of them [the photographs] resembled me,” she said. “All of them have bigger eyes, sharper chin and a pointy nose.”

Poster promoting photo editing app Snow's new AI-powered feature "AI Profile" [SNOW]

Prof. Jang Min-ji of media communications at Kyungnam University views that the meaning of photographs has evolved, not only being used as a means of verification but as an important source to represent who they are. AI profiles are one of the trends to outline that phenomenon.

“In the past, only texts existed to show who we are,” Jang said. “Now, on the other hand, people are highly interested, even willing to ‘invest’ their money and time for that one photograph that can show who they are.

“However, it’s highly ironic that people enjoy taking profile pictures as a form to express their identity but in the end, all the pictures look alike.”

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]