TikTok is bringing AI-generated profile pictures to the masses
TikTok will soon create AI-generated profile pictures at users' request, according to a leak first covered by The Verge.
The tool creates headshots in the same way you might create AI headshots on the Lensa app or AI SuitUp. But, instead of generating a photo through a third party, TikTok's new feature will allegedly be built right into the app, The Verge reported. In screenshots shared from social media consultant Matt Navarra, it looks like the app will ask users to submit between three to 10 photos and it will create up to 30 avatars, but you can only use the tool once a day. Then, you can set it as your avatar, download them, post them — whatever your heart desires.
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TikTok did not immediately respond to Mashable's request for comment, but it said in a statement to TechCrunch that the tool — which it calls an "experiment" — is already available in select regions.
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"We’re always thinking about new ways to add value to the community and enrich the TikTok experience, as we continue to build a safe place that entertains, inspires creativity, and drives culture," a TikTok spokesperson told TechCrunch. "In a few select regions, we’re experimenting with a new way to create and share profile pictures with the TikTok community."
If you've been paying attention, this should come as no surprise. Social media platforms are all trying to dip their fingers into generative AI: Snapchat's divisive My AI, Meta's late scramble to AI, Artifact, the AI social media platform from the creators of Instagram, and more.
All the while, TikTok is in trouble. Lawmakers in over a dozen countries have all implemented various bans of the app due to fears that TikTok is giving user data to the Chinese government, and one U.S. state completely banned the app from being downloaded.
Christianna Silva is a senior culture reporter covering social platforms and the creator economy, with a focus on the intersection of social media, politics, and the economic systems that govern us. Since joining Mashable in 2021, they have reported extensively on meme creators, content moderation, and the nature of online creation under capitalism.
Before joining Mashable, they worked as an editor at NPR and MTV News, a reporter at Teen Vogue and VICE News, and as a stablehand at a mini-horse farm. You can follow her on Bluesky @christiannaj.bsky.social and Instagram @christianna_j.