A Digital Makeover: AI-Generated LinkedIn Profile Pictures

January 31, 2023

Recently, I realized the need for an updated profile picture on my LinkedIn but I didn't want to go to a professional photographer.

Too much effort and a chunk of money just for a few digital pics. Then I had a lightbulb moment.

With all the buzz surrounding generative AI and algorithms that can produce realistic images like DALL-E 2, I figured it must be possible to "generate" some professional shots for my LinkedIn profile or cover photos for my resume.

I was super pumped and did a quick Google search to see if this service existed. As with all my great ideas, someone had already thought of it. First, I found a few services that just touched up existing pics with enhancements like background removal. I stumbled upon two services that seemed to fit the bill - they promised to generate AI-powered profile pics.

The two service I tried were PFPMaker and ProfilePicture.AI

Service Comparison

I decided to try both services to see the results. Despite being skeptical about their claims of creating "stunning" pictures, I was willing to give them a chance. However, there was no free trial or preview available to get an idea of what the final pictures would look like.

Both services offered similar features and costs, starting around $9 for basic packages with around 120 pictures in various styles, ranging from professional to bodybuilder to cyborg.

PFPMaker ProfilePictureAI

To get started, both services required uploading about 20 pictures of myself in different poses.

Finding 20 high-quality pictures of just myself in different poses was a challenge. No sunglasses or beach shots were allowed. Both services stressed that the quality of the input photos was crucial for the final results.

One big difference between the services was the way they checked the picture quality. ProfilePicture.AI accepted all my pictures, but PFPMaker rejected some if the face was unclear or the lighting wasn't right. At first, it was disappointing because I had to find a few more pictures of myself, but in the end, it made a huge difference in helping me choose better pictures and I believe it led to better results.

Results

In the following, I will present a subjective selection of 9 photos from each service that I personally liked the most.

PFPMaker

Image 1 Image 2 Image 3 Image 4 Image 5 Image 6 Image 7 Image 8 Image 9

Right click on the image and press "Open Image in New Tab" to see in better quality

ProfilePictureAI

Image 1 Image 2 Image 3 Image 4 Image 5 Image 6 Image 7 Image 8 Image 9

Right click on the image and press "Open Image in New Tab" to see in better quality

Comparison

It's important to note that a direct comparison between PFPMaker and ProfilePictureAI may not be entirely fair as they have different styles, the input pictures were different, and there's a potential for personal selection bias.

While PFPMaker offered a limited selection of professional styles, it did include a range of unique and creative themes that I found inspiring. The faces generated by PFPMaker were not as photorealistic, but the service did offer a couple of pictures that I felt truly captured my appearance.

On the other hand, ProfilePictureAI offered a wider selection of professional photos that were more photorealistic on average, aligning with my initial goal for creating a new profile picture.

Takeaway

So, did it meet my expectations? Overall, I was satisfied with the results from both services. They did what I needed them for, which was to update my LinkedIn profile picture. Although I wasn't blown away by my results this time, I still think it could be worth giving these AI profile picture generators another shot. After all, I wasn't starting with the ideal set of photos, so maybe with a better set of inputs, I could get a more stunning outcome. Who knows?

You can check out my new LinkedIn profile picture here. Can you tell it was generated by AI and also by which one? Give it a try yourself and see what you think!