1980s AI Photo Trend: The trend of changing one’s photo into a 1980s retro look is fast becoming viral on social media. People are uploading their photos to AI tools to create vintage hairstyles, clothes and filmy looks. But before joining this fun trend it is important to understand the risks associated with privacy and personal data.

Original photos taken with a smartphone or camera sometimes contain metadata. It may include information about when the photo was taken, what device or software was used, and in some cases location. Not only this, your personal information can also be revealed from the background of the photo. If a house nameplate, vehicle number plate, office, school, nearby shop or other persons are visible in the photo, that information can also be shared unintentionally.

Why is face image sensitive?

A face is useful information for identifying a person. Facial Recognition Technologies such as can analyze facial features from photos. So before uploading a clear picture of yourself on an unknown or untrusted app or website, it is important to read its privacy policy and data usage policy. of America Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has also warned of privacy and data security risks associated with the use of biometric information and facial recognition technology.

If the photo falls into the wrong hands, there is a risk of deepfaking

Today’s AI technology can create very realistic-looking fake photos or videos from a person’s photo. Misuse of such technology for fraudulent identity, social media impersonation, fraud or AI Deepfake can be made. According to the FTC, images created by AI or digitally altered can also be used in harmful ways. So caution should be taken before uploading especially very private or sensitive photos to any online AI tool.

Temporary Chat is also an option

Temporary chat can be used in ChatGPT. According to OpenAI, temporary chats are not used to train models, do not appear in normal chat history, and do not create memory. According to OpenAI’s data control information, temporary chats are usually deleted from its system after 30 days. However, it is safer not to share highly sensitive personal information in any online service.

Take special care when uploading photos of children

AI trends also upload photos of children, family or friends. But thought should be given before uploading another person’s image to a third-party AI platform without their knowledge or permission. In particular, it is best to avoid sharing close-up photos of children, school uniforms, school names, home addresses or identifying everyday places.

Keep these things in mind before creating an AI photo

Before uploading a photo to AI, check the background of the photo carefully. Crop or blur house number, vehicle number, identity card, office ID, banking document or other personal information if visible. Avoid giving unnecessary access to Facebook, Google or other accounts to unknown AI apps. Also check what kind of data the app collects and for how long. Uploading passport, Aadhaar card, PAN card, bank documents, medical records or very private pictures for AI photo trend should be avoided.

Enjoy the trend, but don’t compromise on privacy

The 1980s AI Photo Trend can be interesting for fun, and uploading a normal photo to a trusted AI service won’t always hurt, but uploading a photo online means the image isn’t just confined to your phone. So before joining any AI trend it is wisest to check the platform’s privacy policy, remove unnecessary personal details and make proper use of data controls. Your digital privacy is more important than a photo that goes viral for a while.