Word on the streets of the internet is that there is a lot of controversy surrounding the cartoon avatars that people pay (YES, PAY!) to post on their social media. I know all those cartoon bots and logos are HOT. The photos aren’t just leaked, futuristic creations; are artificial intelligence content created by the Lensa App. Like FaceTune, Lensa allows you to profile, edit and curate your photos for social media. But, its new feature also uses artificial intelligence to create content in different settings, outfits, and environments.

How does it work? Download the app and go for a free trial as a subscription costs almost $30. Next, click on the “Magic Avatars” tool and it will ask you to upload a set of photos from different angles and with various expressions. You will then be asked for your gender and which avatar pack you would like to purchase. They range from $3.99 to $7.99. Once you’ve chosen your package, the app will select your cartoon photos and allow you to download them directly to your phone.

What controversy could cartoon characters cause? Before we get into that, let’s go back to break down AI technology. Webster’s Dictionary defines it as “a branch of computer science concerned with the simulation of intelligent behavior in computers and the ability of a machine to imitate intelligent human behaviour”. The term was coined by the mathematician Alan Turing in the 1950s.

Since the development of AI, it has expanded into four categories: reactive machines, limited memory, theory of mind, and self-awareness. Reactive machines can react to the world in front of them and perform certain tasks. An example of this is when you play with your computer instead of a human opponent in an online game of checkers. It reacts to your moves based on the game rules BUT it doesn’t store memory, so it won’t have any memories of other players or previous games. Then there are memory-limited machines, which can select predictions based on stored data. One of the most popular ways it’s used is for reinforcement learning, so a machine can make better predictions with trial and error. The theory of mental machines does not yet exist. They’re just a concept surrounding a machine’s ability to understand that humans have thoughts and emotions. After that, self-aware machines will come, which will be able to operate on a human-like level through their own existence and understanding.

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Historically, the government used artificial intelligence technology to crack codes during criminal warfare, such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s selected street mapping projects in the 1970s. Additionally, DARPA created intelligent personal assistants in 2003. But these days, the average person uses artificial intelligence technology in their everyday lives, such as voice assistants. Yes, our favorites Siri and Alexa are the result of artificial intelligence technology that harnesses data from cloud platforms to give us responses to our voice commands. They can analyze thousands of pieces of data in a second to give us a personalized answer to “What is Doja Cat’s real name?” for instance.

But it doesn’t stop there, while you’re watching “Wednesday” on NetflixHave you ever thought, “Wow, I’m using artificial intelligence?” Well you are! Streaming platforms use data, like your watchlist and clicks, to curate a personalized feed of shows and movies they think you’ll like. So when you share your Netflix account with your cousin who is crazy about true crime stories, just know that your personal algorithm will be affected and you will have to go back and let the app know what you really want to watch. And if you decide to change their password, I don’t blame you. Reorganizing your Netflix account is a PAIN.

Another way we use AI on a daily basis is through filters. Snapchat the craze for filters of flower crowns, animal faces, and more began in 2015. Almost all teens used Snapchat filters on their content and posted it on other social media platforms. They didn’t know they were using artificial intelligence. Since then, the way we use AI, in regards to content, has expanded well beyond filters, which brings us back to the original point of those controversial cartoon avatars. Since the technology uses data that has already been published for your creations, the Lensa app is actually using the artists’ work without their permission. And because the app relies on multiple sources, it’s hard to determine whose work is used for which cartoon character, but many artists and their fans have noted their influence within the avatars.

Another issue some have with the app is that people unknowingly sign the rights to use their faces on other websites. The fine print that you agree to before you get your avatars says that you will allow them to use the content of the current app and other sites as they wish. Now this is not illegal because they show the terms and conditions before you agree BUT many consumers are not going to read the fine print or understand the language so some might say it is predatory.

Lensa isn’t the only AI content app that’s gotten a lot of attention. ChatGPT is an open artificial intelligence application that interacts in a conversational way depending on the questions that are asked. For example, you can ask it to write a blog about social media algorithms and it will pull information from a bunch of sources to select one for you. Please note that this tool cannot think for itself. You can only use the information and data you have access to, so the more specific you are, the better the results. Another point to take into account is that since it is a machine without human context or emotion, writing can feel a bit stale or robotic compared to someone writing a blog piece with real-world examples and compelling language. This is a great tool to help get ideas off the ground, but it shouldn’t be your end-all. I did NOT use the tool to write this article.

So will AI take over content creation? In my opinion, no. These machines do not have brains and cannot generate concepts by themselves. They are limited to information and data that already exists. There are tons of trends and concepts yet to be thought of or created, which means that without our imagination, there is a limit to what machines can do. I know some creatives find this frustrating, but think of it as someone else stealing your creation: they may have the recipe, but they never will. your secret sauce.