The 1980s AI photo trend is going viral, with users turning ordinary selfies into retro Bollywood portraits, vintage family photographs and old-school film stills using AI. The trend can create impressive results by changing hairstyles, clothing, lighting, colours and film textures while keeping the person recognisable.
But before uploading a personal photograph, users should consider privacy, data usage and consent.
Is It Safe to Upload Your Face to ChatGPT?
Uploading a normal portrait to an established AI service is not automatically unsafe, but users should understand what happens to the image after it is uploaded.
For ChatGPT’s individual services, OpenAI says uploaded content, including images and files, may be used to improve its models depending on the user’s data settings. Users can disable this through Settings → Data Controls → Improve the model for everyone.
Another option is Temporary Chat. OpenAI says Temporary Chats do not appear in chat history and are not used to improve its models. They are retained for up to 30 days for safety purposes before deletion.
What Are the Main Privacy Risks?
The biggest concern is that a face is personal information that can potentially be used to identify someone. Users should therefore think carefully before uploading photographs that contain additional information such as passports, Aadhaar cards, driving licences, addresses, phone numbers or other sensitive documents.
OpenAI also advises users not to enter sensitive information they would not want reviewed or used.
Another important consideration is consent. Avoid uploading someone else’s photograph and transforming it without their permission, particularly when the resulting image could be misleading or embarrassing.
How to Use the Trend More Safely
If you want to try the 1980s AI photo trend, follow these precautions:
Use a normal portrait rather than a photograph containing sensitive information.
Remove documents and personal details from the image.
Consider turning off “Improve the model for everyone” before uploading.
Use Temporary Chat when appropriate.
Don’t upload private photographs of other people without consent.
Review the generated image before posting it publicly.
Be careful about sharing the original high-resolution photograph online.
OpenAI says users have controls over how their content is used and that content is encrypted in transit and at rest.
Should You Try the 1980s AI Photo Trend?
Yes, but with caution. For most people, transforming an ordinary selfie into a retro photograph is a relatively low-risk use case when sensible privacy precautions are followed. However, users should remember that once a personal photograph is uploaded to an online service, they are entrusting that service with biometric-looking personal information.
The best approach is simple: don’t upload anything that you wouldn’t be comfortable entrusting to the service, and check the privacy settings before sharing your face.