Lensa AI Magic Avatars

Photo editing app Lensa AI's Magic Avatars uses AI to transform selfies into anime, painting, or drawing versions of oneself in the style of popular artists or styles like sci-fi, fantasy and anime.

Built on open source image generator Stable Diffusion, Magic Avatars quickly proved popular, shooting to the top of Apple's photo and video app charts  ahortly after its launch.

System info 🔢

Operator: Prisma Labs
Developer: Prisma Labs

Country: USA; Global

Sector: Media/entertainment/sports/arts

Purpose: Create avatars

Technology: Neural network; Deep learning; Machine learning
Issue: Copyright; Privacy; Safety; Employment - jobs

Transparency: Governance; Marketing

Risks and harms 🛑

Lensa's Magic Avatars app has caused controversy due to its inadequate safety guardrails, privacy concerns about how user data is being used, the alleged re-use and manipulation of artists' work without their knowledge or permission, and fears for the future of digital artists' jobs.

Incidents and issues 🔥

Page info
Type: System
Published: December 2022
Last updated: May 2024