What does the Lensa AI app do with my self portraits and why has it gone viral?

Sending pictures of yourself off into the ether to get sent back more pictures of yourself seems a bit weird to me, but I am over 30. Why has this taken off?

People love to jump on a trend, and a bunch of celebrities and social media users quickly rushed to share their creations online.

Just like all good things in life, maybe not.

Uh oh. Tell me more.

Other users of non-anglo descent have also alleged Lensa whitened their skin and anglicised their features, a common complaint of image-editing software on platforms like TikTok.

Right. Artistic concerns sound far more benign though?

Well, maybe. As often comes up in debates about artificial intelligence, artists have expressed concerns the app, and the mainstreaming of AI image generators, are cutting their cheese by turning creativity into a tech-generated process.

So what actually happens to the photos you supply to this app?

Well actually, curiosity and my inner Narcissus took hold and I submitted a bunch of my own pictures this morning. It was weird as hell. It looked nothing like me, even as I imagine myself to be if I were dressed up as a fantasy cartoon character. But I had to know.

Sorry, nothing is sacred.