Artificial intelligence (AI) has come a long way in recent years. From the initial uses for healthcare, computer programming, and engineering, AI is now useful for a range of tasks that the everyday person can benefit from. AI has made a splash with several applications, like ChatGPT, which is used around the world to create text-based responses to prompts on any topic. AI tools have been useful in marketing, student’s studies, and a whole host of other niches. One such technology that’s becoming rapidly available to the public is the use of generative AI to create novel images. People are using this technology for almost any task, from creating stunning pieces of artwork to derailing political campaigns with fake images. An unexpected use of AI that has shot up recently is the use of generative AI to create AI headshots for LinkedIn professionals. Headshots are used in a range of careers to establish trust and personality with clients, hiring managers, headhunters, and casting directors. Using AI has a range of benefits, but it can be difficult to decide whether or not to take the leap into an unknown technology. In this article, we will explore how to use AI to leverage social media sites such as LinkedIn to get the best out of your artificially generated headshots. How Does AI Work To Create Headshots? The first step in utilizing this technology is to understand exactly how it works. Each AI headshot generator will have a slightly different process, but by and large the process is conserved across different platforms. Generative AI is a term that describes artificial intelligence capable of generating new content. In the case of headshot generators, the new content created is novel images. This is usually done through a process known as stable diffusion, originally invented by Stability AI (although there are several different algorithms on the market). In diffusion, an existing image is broken down piece by piece by the AI. During this process, the AI learns how to create a new image through reversal of the breakdown. With enough images, the algorithm eventually learns how to create completely new images. Headshot generators usually ask that the customer provide several personal photos, like head and shoulder photos from different angles. This provides the AI with a database of images to break down with diffusion, and allows it to train itself to create an image that looks like the person in the photo. This process can occasionally go wrong. This is known as hallucination, where the AI introduces errors during the image creation process. These errors can be mitigated by providing enough high quality photos for the initial breakdown process, which gives the AI lots of data to work with—more data means better results. Each algorithm has a proprietary process for the creation of images and will require a different number of shots, and may have specific requirements for the angles required. It’s best to do your due diligence on the headshot generator you choose to use to ensure the best results. Some of these AI generators may have literature in the form of blog posts, which can be used to inform you of how to prepare for the headshot creation process. It’s a good idea to read up on these if possible to make sure that you have the best chance at a high quality output. How To Use Your New Headshots to Your Advantage Once you’ve managed to create headshots you’re happy with, the next challenge is to use them to further your personal goals. Headshots can be a great way to get ahead in your career, especially in front-facing or client based roles, where you need to stand out from many potential options for consumers. One of the best sites for using your new headshots is LinkedIn. This is a social media site that focuses on professionals, and is often used by working folk to network, market themselves, and can be a great place to find new roles or interact with people you aspire to work with. Having an up-to-date profile picture can really make your LinkedIn profile stand out. Often, newbies use a personal photo, or crop an image where they are out with friends and think they look good. This is especially true for people who are camera shy or find it awkward to take lots of photos of themselves. However, using personal photos can actually detract from your profile as it makes you seem unprofessional and less trustworthy to prospective clients. On the other hand, having a profile picture is essential as your profile will get next to no attention without one. If you’re opting for the traditional route, here are some useful tips to take professional LinkedIn profile pictures. But in 2024, it’s worth considering using AI, as it can really come in handy to create the best headshot possible. Using AI to generate headshots can provide you with a range of professional photos for a cheap price, which can then be used to regularly update your LinkedIn profile or be utilized across platforms to add variety for marketing your services. Headhunters are especially prominent on platforms like LinkedIn. Many roles aren’t advertised on job boards and may not be accessible to the general public. If you’re looking for work, making a solid impression on these headhunters can be a great way to access roles with less competition. Having a good profile picture is the first step to updating your profile for headhunters. When scrolling through thousands of potential candidates to message, you want to make sure that your profile stands out as professional, up-to-date, and approachable. Headshots can also be used to advertise yourself for certain roles or to showcase particular skills. If you’re looking to get into a specific industry, having a headshot that’s tailored towards that industry can be a great way to show that you’re interested at first glance, and might help to attract recruitment teams to your profile. The high cost of headshots in traditional photoshoots makes it difficult to often update your headshots for most people. AI helps solve this problem, by making it far easier and cheaper to update your profile photos to showcase specific skills when you’re looking to change roles. This can be a real boon for people who are often looking to change industry, or who are just starting out in their careers and are open to advancing through changing roles often. Having a range of headshots showing off all of your skills helps to show the breadth of your experience. Headshots can also be used to showcase where you’ve worked by using backgrounds with the name of the company or on location. This can be a great opportunity if you’ve been hired by a leading company in your industry, even if it’s only temporary. You just need to be careful to not misrepresent the company and to ensure that you only use these images with permission. In Summary Using AI to create headshots for LinkedIn is one of the best uses of AI headshot generators. It helps to cut down on prohibitive costs and can enhance your professional image, resulting in more views on your profile and the potential to access jobs that aren’t advertised to the public. If you’re ready to get started, try researching AI headshot generators and looking at reviews or photos that have been generated to ensure you have the best possible outcome! 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