The latest trend? Using artificial intelligence to create photos in the style of 90s American high school students.
The popularity of this trend exploded in autumn 2023, with millions of users downloading the application. However, AI-edited photos raise questions about self-confidence and data protection.
The photos generated by Epik transform bodies to conform to 90s beauty standards, which can create complexes and affect users’ self-confidence. Psychologists warn that these applications have a negative impact on self-esteem, encouraging comparison and devaluation, particularly among young people whose self-esteem is still developing.
Epik also raises concerns about the protection of personal data. The application not only accesses users’ photos, but also their location and their activities on social networks, which can be used for targeted advertising. Facial recognition is also involved, even though the company claims to use it to improve its services. This highlights the risk of building up databases that could be used maliciously, particularly if the company changes management or is sold.
In conclusion, users are encouraged to exercise their rights and ask companies for a copy of their data to better protect their privacy in a context where technologies are evolving rapidly.
