Artificial intelligence (AI) headshots are popping up on LinkedIn and across the Web and can produce “professional” headshots in seconds. That kind of convenience is appealing. I’m a professional photographer who photographs headshots and personal branding, so let’s talk about it! I believe that if you’re serious about your brand, your career, or making a strong first impression, AI headshots just don’t cut it. Let me tell you why.

Headshots are supposed to build trust

One of the most important reasons to invest in professional headshot portraits is to make a strong first impression. You’re looking to build trust with a possible employer, customer, client, etc. A polished, authentic headshot helps establish credibility and trust. If your first impression is based on an artificial image, it fails to build trust and can backfire and do the opposite.

What if I told you chatgpt wrote this blog post for me? What is your gut reaction? The probable grammar errors should instill confidence that I am indeed writing this blog post without the use of AI. However, I’m willing to bet you would’ve felt like I did a bait and switch to you or at least a little icky if by the end I did tell you chatgpt wrote this blog post. Do you trust me more or less if this is the case? It’s the same with your headshots! People hire and do business with people they trust, so showing up genuinely matters. AI is artificial, not authentic.

Build your confidence
As a photographer, I know getting in front of a camera isn’t everyone’s idea of a great time. But a photoshoot should give you a bump in confidence and can actually be a fun experience, go figure! A professional photographer knows how to properly light and pose their subjects, putting them at ease. Proper posing goes a long way to making the session enjoyable and giving you the confidence that you’re going to look great in your images. Confidence comes from putting yourself out there. Getting out of your comfort zone and being able to say that you did it. A headshot session (or personal branding session) is a nice way to celebrate yourself, your goals, and have an experience that doesn’t happen every day.
With an AI-generated image, you’re disconnected. It isn’t actually you. You may be happy with the interpretation, but (and here’s that word again) it’s artificial. You don’t gain confidence from uploading a picture and having a program spit out its version. It doesn’t give you confidence; it’s more of a sterile feeling.

Everyone is unique
We all know everyone is different, and that’s why I go out of my way to talk to everyone to find out the little things that will separate them and their business. I’m a small business person myself, I want to inspire and help you promote yourself. I want to give you images you’re excited to use and share.
AI tools have a template or similar look no matter the person.

AI will get better and better as the technology improves. But no matter how awesome it is, I stand by my reasoning that it will never compare to a real-life photoshoot. It won’t ever be able to convey the trust of a real image, truly customized to you and give you a fun experience you deserve.