Exploring Identity through AI-Generated Selfies - Iffet Secil Kinsan

   For this assignment, I initially tried Craiyon; however, I preferred the result generated with ChatGPT 5.2, as it responded more closely to my descriptions overall. Most elements were interpreted accurately, including my clothing preferences, such as wearing a black blazer jacket with a blue T-shirt underneath, as well as my interest in music, which resulted in the AI adding headphones. One limitation became apparent when I mentioned that I like dogs, which resulted in a Golden Retriever being added (though I love them!), since I had not specified that I actually have a Jack Russell Terrier. My hair color, skin tone, and eye color were reasonably aligned with my real appearance, but I chose not to create a hyper-realistic selfie.

    This decision was influenced by my growing ethical concerns about contemporary AI technologies. As Flick and Worrall (2022) explain, “Deepfakes are the result of using AI process (specifically deep learning techniques) to simulate a person in audio, video, or still imagery… to create a ‘persona’ that then renders a realistic approximation of the original person.” Rather than producing an image that closely simulates my physical likeness, I chose a webtoon style to avoid creating a representation that could be interpreted as a realistic substitute for my identity. 

    However, it is also important to recognize that deepfake technologies are not always negative. Flick and Worrall (2022) also note that “outside of these kinds of uses, deepfakes can be used in more meaningful and helpful ways as well,” such as the Deep Empathy project, which uses simulated environments to foster empathy for disaster victims. This suggests that ethical concerns surrounding deepfakes depend largely on context, intention, and application.

    Overall, I found the process of creating the image both enjoyable and revealing, as it made me aware of my own perspective on producing personal visuals with AI.

Flick, C., & Worrall, K. (2022). The ethics of creative AI. In The language of creative AI: Practices, aesthetics and structures (pp. 73-91). Cham: Springer International Publishing.