Parents are increasingly using ChatGPT to generate school-style portraits of their children to avoid traditional photography costs. The process involves taking a smartphone photo against a plain wall and using AI to add standard gradient backgrounds.
Traditional school photo packages typically range from $25 to $60 per child. For families with multiple children, total annual expenses can exceed $100. Reports indicate that some packages cost between $43 and $65.
The trend gained traction on social media platforms like TikTok, where users share methods to bypass professional services. This shift highlights how generative AI allows consumers to replicate standardized products that were previously purchased out of habit.
Legal experts warn that some users are uploading watermarked professional proofs to AI tools to remove logos. Attorneys note that removing watermarks from professional images may violate federal copyright laws, as the copyright belongs to the photographer.
OpenAI policies state that uploaded files may remain in their systems for up to 30 days after a chat is deleted. Whether user data is utilized to train models depends on individual account settings and the specific product used.
