This viral AI TikTok trend could score you a free headshot. Here's how
Viral TikTok trends can occasionally teach you a thing or two about technology, and the AI headshot-generation trend is a prime example. In this trend, users take selfies and convert them into high-quality headshots with the touch of a button. Here's how you can do it, too.
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Getting the perfect business headshot can be a challenging feat since you need to hire a photographer and then cross your fingers that you like any of the photos enough to make it your LinkedIn profile picture or official professional headshot.
Therefore, when I saw the TikToks of people using AI to easily generate a professional-looking headshot, I had to put it to the test, and below is how I did it and what I found.
Set up your account
To get started, you have to download the Remini app, which is available for both iOS and Android. Then you can follow the app instructions to set up your account.
First, it will ask you to click on a "get started" button, which will take you to a subscription page. Here you can select to start a free, three-day trial. Beware that if you don't cancel that subscription plan after the trial is over, it will charge you a whopping $10 a week.
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To finish setting up your account, give Remini access to your photos because it needs between eight and 12 of them to create your AI-generated headshot.
Create your headshot
Once you are all set up, click on the bottom bar where it says "AI Photos". Here you will click on "Generate my photos" and be prompted to select 8-12 photos of yourself that showcase your face clearly and have good lighting.
After that, you can scroll through all the many models and click on the one that you'd like your face to be rendered on. Once you do that, you will have to wait a couple of minutes while your image generates. You can turn on notifications to receive an alert when your images are ready.
When the images generate, you will have six different options to scroll through, which you can delete or save as you scroll. In my experience, some models were fantastic while others left much to be desired.
Final verdict
It takes some playing around, but I was personally SHOCKED by how much my favorite image looked like me. The image even had some unique features on my face down pat, like my slightly crooked smile. You can see that result in the image at the top of the article.
I have covered how to use AI to make a headshot before, but -- unlike with the Canva Pro technique -- you have to put in zero work with this trend.
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Yes, some images are absolutely random or bizarre. My personal favorite was when, out of nowhere, the AI gave me a short green bob that I didn't ask for.
But if you even get one good headshot that you really like from randomly submitting 8-12 photos, that sounds good enough to me.
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In terms of cost, the free trial seems absolutely worth it. A $10-a-week subscription is much too steep for my liking, but perhaps it would be worth it if you subscribed for just one week, got the headshots you needed, and then unsubscribed.