🤳 AI-Generated Selfies Are Taking Over.

This is The Level Ups. Modern business news for the future business leader (in plain-Jane English). 

Today:

• Lensa hits #1 on the App Store

• Is the AI-selfie trend here to stay?

• How will businesses use the same tech?

• What’s the catch?

Let’s get into it.

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes & 40 seconds. 

Lensa Hits #1 With AI-Generated Selfies

Lensa AI has exploded in popularity to take the number one spot in the U.S. and Canada on Apple’s App Store charts.

This comes after its artificial intelligence (AI) selfie generator went viral.

While the app has been around since 2018, “magic avatars” (see above) created this huge lift in downloads.

It’s essentially the next generation of filters (we know how popular those are).

More examples:

They’re this good already. How good will they be in a few years?

Maybe too good. Lensa should be moving toward creating animations next, which would make for another game-changer.

Imagine creating a sci-fi character in your image, carrying out a story of your design. Is this how the next major movies will start?

Is The Trend Here to Stay?

Absolutely.

Filters blew up, people love selfies, and the possibilities are endless.

Lensa’s unlimited plan is $35.99, which I expect many will pay. However, people can get started with just a few dollars.

Aside from just selfies, The global AI market is expected to grow to $1.81 trillion by 2030. When the market grows like this, everything related will also grow at a surprising page.

AI selfies are a big player, but I’d expect the same for many AI players. A rising tide lifts all the boats.

AI is that rising tide.

How Will Business Use This?

It’s not a new concept, but this tech will make it more accessible. There are many use-cases. Here’s one you might not have heard of.

Virtual influencers.

That’s right. Soon, the people we follow on social media won’t be people anymore. It’s already happening.

Case in point: a character from a video game with a social media following over 700k across Twitter and Instagram. Seraphine, from the game League of Legends.

It’s about to get serious.

How a business can create a virtual influencer.

1. Hire an artist to design a 3D person (20-30 images). This company did it for Call of Duty.

2. Create unlimited images of that character using Lensa.

3. Use AI to speak for them (or hire a ghostwriter if that’s not an option).

4. Post post post.

It takes some planning to ensure a clear voice and personality. Classic brand positioning, just for a character instead of a company.

While AI is not quite there to do it 100% on its own, there are plenty of resources to make this happen.

Taking it to the next level.

Seraphine is a “musician” with over 240k monthly listens. Someone else acts as her voice under contract, but here’s the thing:

AI can create music now. Why can’t your character be a DJ playing AI-generated songs?

This is how personality and character form. A “look,” a “sound,” and even AI-generated dances as well.

It’s coming, and soon. I might make an AI mascot when I rebrand The Level Ups. Who knows.

What’s The Catch?

What are they doing with the data?

Besides that, there have been noted issues of minorities appearing whiter than in real life.

Regardless, it’s a fun trend, which means people will keep using it. After all the controversy (which was literally a national security issue) over TikTok’s data collection, it’s still growing.

So, take that as your warning.

Let me know if you play around with Lensa. I’d love to see what you come up with.

See you tomorrow!

Darwin