So yesterday was Safer Internet Day, and this year’s theme – “AI Aware: Safe, Smart, and in Control” couldn’t be more relevant to something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about.
You’ve probably seen them flooding your social media feeds lately, especially on LinkedIn and other social media platforms: those adorable AI-generated cartoon versions of people at their jobs. Someone asks ChatGPT to “create an image of me as [insert profession here] based on everything you know about me,” uploads a photo or two, and boom, out comes a cute illustrated version of themselves.
I’ll admit, they do look pretty cool and funky. Â Who doesn’t want to see themselves as a cartoon character doing their dream job or actual job? The results can be surprisingly creative and fun to share.
But here’s the thing to reflect on and give some thought to: this trend isn’t quite as harmless as it seems. And before you jump on the bandwagon, I think it’s worth understanding what you’re actually handing over when you participate.
When you upload your photo to ChatGPT and ask it to create that cartoon image, you’re doing more than just playing with a fun tool. You’re giving OpenAI (the company behind ChatGPT) access to:
Your physical appearance – high-resolution photos of your face
Your personal information – your job, interests, maybe details from your conversation history with ChatGPT
Biometric data – yes, your face is biometric data that can be analysed and stored
Context about your life – whatever you’ve shared in the prompt or previous conversations
And here’s the kicker: once you hit that upload button, you’ve essentially lost control over what happens to that data.
Really applies here…
When you share your photo with an AI platform, you’re trusting that company with something pretty intimate, your likeness. And while OpenAI has privacy policies in place, the reality is:
You don’t control what happens next. Your image and the data associated with it could potentially be:
Stored on their servers indefinitely
Used in ways you didn’t explicitly agree to
Accessed by employees or contractors
Compromised if there’s ever a data breach
Subject to their changing policies over time
And once you’ve shared that cartoon image on social media? Well, now it’s out there twice – once with OpenAI and once on whatever platform you posted it to. Each with their own terms of service and data practices that lets be honest you probably haven’t even read.
This one’s a bit murky, and honestly, it’s something that makes me uncomfortable.
AI models learn by training on massive amounts of data. The question everyone should be asking is: Could your photo be used to train future AI models?
OpenAI has stated that they don’t train on user data by default anymore (as of March 2023), but there are important caveats:
Policies can and do change
There are exceptions for safety and abuse prevention
The fine print matters, and it’s complicated (loads of legal stuff must of us don’t really understand)
Other companies might have different practices if this trend spreads to other AI tools
Even if OpenAI isn’t training directly on your specific photo, you’ve still given them permission to process and analyse it. And let’s be real: most of us didn’t read the entire terms of service before clicking “agree.”
The broader concern is about consent. Did you really consent to your face potentially being included in a dataset that trains AI systems to recognise human faces? That’s a question really worth pondering.
Here’s something that doesn’t get talked about enough: your personal data has commercial value.
When you upload your photo and information to create that cartoon, you’re essentially providing free data to a company that:
Could use insights from your data to improve their products
Might analyse patterns across millions of users like you
Could potentially sell aggregated data to advertisers
Benefits from understanding user behavior and preferences
Now, I’m not saying OpenAI is doing all of these things (some of this would violate their current policies), but it’s important to understand that your data has value. And in many of these “free” AI tools, you’re not the customer – you’re the product.
Your engagement, your photos, your data – that’s what makes these platforms valuable to investors and advertisers.
Social media platforms have made massive profits over the years through a simple formula: collect user data, package it for advertisers, repeat. For most of these companies, data collection and targeted advertising aren’t just part of the business model; they are the business model.
Okay, this part is less fun to talk about, but it’s important.
Once your likeness is out there in digital form, there’s potential for misuse. We’ve already seen problems with:
Deepfakes and manipulation. The technology to create convincing fake images and videos is getting better every day. While your ChatGPT cartoon is harmless, establishing a pattern of sharing your face with AI tools normalises something that could have darker applications.
Harassment and defamation. If someone wanted to use your image maliciously, every photo you share publicly makes that easier. Your cartoon image itself might be innocent, but the original photos you uploaded? Those are more vulnerable.
Identity theft. Biometric data can be used in identity verification. The more images of you that exist in databases, the more potential attack vectors there are.
Lack of recourse. If your image is misused, what are your options? Can you force OpenAI or other platforms to delete it? Can you control who has access to it?
I’m not trying to scare you, but I do think we should be honest about the risks.
Just like with LinkedIn’s Year in Review which I discussed in my previous newsletter before Christmas, there’s a social dynamic at play here that’s worth examining.
When your feed fills up with everyone’s cute AI cartoons, there’s pressure to participate. You don’t want to be left out. You want to show your creative side. Maybe you’re curious about how the AI will represent you.
And when you do participate and share, you’re sending a signal to everyone else that this is normal and safe. You’re essentially vouching for the trend, even if you haven’t thought through the implications.
This is how these things spread, not because everyone carefully weighs the pros and cons, but because it looks fun and everyone else is doing it.
Just because millions of people are doing something doesn’t automatically make it a good idea, it just makes it a popular idea.
I haven’t jumped on this trend myself, but I’m not here to tell you that you made a mistake if you did. Everyone has different priorities when it comes to privacy versus fun online.
What I hope you’ll take away from this newsletter is just some food for thought for the future. Because this won’t be the last viral AI trend we see, not by a long shot. Next time, you’ll have the information you need to make whatever choice feels right for you
We’ve seen this pattern before:
The FaceApp age filter that sent your photos to Russian servers
The “which Disney character are you?” quizzes that harvested your Facebook data
Face-swapping apps with questionable privacy policies
Every viral filter that asks for camera access
Each time, millions participated. Each time, there were privacy concerns. Each time, people later wondered, “Wait, what did I actually agree to?”
You might be thinking, “But I post photos on Instagram and Facebook all the time. How is this different?”
Fair question! Here are some key differences:
Purpose and processing. When you post a photo on social media, it’s displayed as-is. When you upload to ChatGPT, it’s being analyzed, processed, and transformed by AI. That requires a different level of data extraction and analysis.
Biometric analysis. AI tools that generate images from your photos are doing sophisticated facial recognition and analysis. That’s different from just storing and displaying a photo.
Company practices. Social media platforms (for all their faults) are somewhat regulated (Online Safety Acts, etc.), and their practices are more scrutinised. AI companies are newer, with less regulatory oversight at this stage, and rapidly changing practices.
Control. On social media, you can usually delete your photos. With AI platforms, it’s murkier whether your data is truly deleted from their systems when you ask.
I’m not saying social media is great for privacy (it’s not), but this is a different category of data sharing with different risks.
Look, I’m not here to tell you to avoid all AI tools or never have fun online. That would be unrealistic and, honestly, kind of hypocritical since I use technology too.
But I do think we need to be more intentional about when and how we share our personal information, especially biometric data like our faces.
AI is incredibly powerful and useful. It’s also still the Wild West in terms of regulation, privacy protections, and long-term implications. We’re all figuring this out together, and it’s okay to be cautious.
If you’re thinking about jumping on this cartoon trend (or any future AI trend), here are some questions to ask yourself first:
Do I really need to use my real photo? Could you use a photo that doesn’t clearly show your face? Or skip it entirely?
Have I read the privacy policy? Yeah, I know, they’re boring. But at least skim it. Look for sections about data retention, training data, and third-party sharing. They really need to make these easier for folks to understand.
Am I comfortable with the worst-case scenario? Assume your photo will be stored forever and could potentially be accessed by people you don’t know. Still okay with it?
What am I getting in return? Is a cute cartoon worth the potential privacy trade-off? Only you can decide, but make sure you’re making that decision consciously.
Can I do this privately? Some AI tools let you create without sharing publicly. Could you enjoy the result without posting it?
Am I doing this because I want to, or because I feel like I should? FOMO is real, but it’s not a good reason to compromise your privacy.
If you decide to participate, here are some ways to minimise risk:
Use a photo that’s already public. If it’s already on your social media, the privacy ship has sailed anyway. Don’t upload new private photos.
Limit what you share in the prompt. You don’t need to tell ChatGPT your life story. Keep it vague.
Don’t include identifying information. Skip the company name, specific location, or other details that could identify you.
Check your ChatGPT settings. Review the data retention options you have and opt out of anything you’re not comfortable with. Settings -> Data Controls in ChatGPT is a good starting point.
Think twice before sharing. You can create the image privately without posting it to social media.
Use a burner account. If you really want to try it, consider using a separate email/account rather than your main one.
Read the terms. I know, I know. But seriously, at least the privacy-related sections.
If you’re a parent, educator, or just someone who cares about young people, this trend is actually a great teaching opportunity.
Children and teens are especially vulnerable to viral trends and social pressure. They might not understand that:
Their digital footprint matters
Biometric data is sensitive
What they share now could affect them later
Companies are collecting and potentially profiting from their data
Having a conversation about this trend can open up bigger discussions about:
Digital literacy and online safety
Critical thinking about viral trends
Understanding terms of service and privacy policies
The value of personal data
How to balance fun with safety online
Here’s what really concerns me about trends like this: they’re normalising increasingly invasive data collection practices.
Each time we enthusiastically hand over our photos, our voices, our personal details to AI companies without thinking twice, we’re collectively deciding that convenience and fun matter more than privacy.
And look, I get it. Privacy can feel abstract and boring compared to a cute cartoon of yourself. But privacy isn’t just about hiding things it’s about having control over your own information and identity.
When we give that up casually, we’re setting a precedent. We’re telling companies, “Sure, take whatever you want. We don’t really care.” And that makes it harder for all of us to push back when data practices cross lines we’re not comfortable with.
Before you create and share your AI cartoon (or participate in the next viral AI trend), I want you to do one thing:
Pause and ask yourself why.
Not why you shouldn’t do it, but why you want to do it.
Is it because:
You’re genuinely curious about the technology? (Cool!)
You think the result will be fun to look at? (Totally valid!)
You want to share something creative with friends? (Makes sense!)
Everyone else is doing it and you feel left out? (Hmm, worth examining)
You haven’t really thought about it? (Time to think about it!)
There’s no wrong answer, but I believe in making conscious choices rather than defaulting to whatever trend is sweeping through our feeds.
I’m not trying to be a party pooper or make you feel bad if you’ve already created and shared your AI cartoon. That’s not the point at all.
The point is that we’re living through a really interesting and kind of unprecedented time. AI technology is advancing faster than regulations, faster than our understanding of the implications, and definitely faster than most of us can keep up with me included.
These cute little trends are the tip of the iceberg. They’re training us to be comfortable with AI analysing our faces, our voices, our personal information. And while each individual instance might seem harmless, the cumulative effect is that we’re building a world where comprehensive data collection is just… normal.
I want us to be intentional about that just like the important messages I share with teens in our educational workshops. Â I want us to make active choices rather than passive ones.
So by all means, if you decide the trade-off is worth it for you, go create your cartoon. But make that decision with your eyes open, knowing what you’re sharing and why.
Your privacy matters. Your data has value. And you deserve to be in control of both.
What do you think? Have you created one of these AI cartoons? Are you planning to? Has this changed how you think about it at all? I’d genuinely love to hear your perspective.
Stay safe, stay informed, and remember: just because something is viral and or popular online doesn’t mean it’s risk-free.
If you would like further help
👉 Download the Parents App for clear step by step guides and practical support
👉 Book a one to one session with me to help with any questions or guidance you might need
You don’t have to figure this out alone. 💛
Wayne
Disclaimer: I’m not a privacy expert or lawyer, just someone who thinks we should all be more thoughtful about what we share online. This represents my personal perspective based on publicly available information about AI and data privacy.
Remember to share it with your family & friends.
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