A Man's Journey to Improve Online Image Ends in Seasickness

A Man's Journey to Improve Online Image Ends in Seasickness

Identity and AI

Ryan Floyd

Dec 14, 2024

I received some tough feedback the other day: “Your website is sketchy. It looks like you’re smuggling bitcoin.” Well, I’m not doing that, whatever that means. I help manage a thoroughly above-board business that follows all rules and regulations, abiding by high ethical standards. (Although I’ll admit, having to state that so plainly raises more questions than it answers.)

Still, this whole “new website” process has been eye-opening. Apparently, I don’t have a well-maintained online persona. No one who has seen my desk (perpetually messy since I was old enough to walk) would be shocked by this revelation.

Thankfully, tools now exist to make things a little better organized. We started exploring options for good photos but weren’t sure what direction to take. Does anyone actually choose financial services based on a headshot? Regardless, I was curious. So, I tried one of those AI headshot tools—uploaded ten pictures from various angles, added some prompts, and waited to see the results. The cost was absurdly low, and every example on their site seemed to transform people from a 6/10 to a 9.7/10. What could go wrong?

When the results came back, I couldn’t help but laugh. For fun, I’d included prompts like “doctor in a white coat,” and those were amusing. Then there was my “trillionaire who owns a couple of baseball teams” pose, the “overweight cigarette salesman pitching sponsorships to a football team” look. It was all hilarious.

But as I kept looking at the photos, a weird, queasy feeling set in. I’m not trying to elicit sympathy here, just describing the unsettling experience of letting an algorithm toy with my personhood. It’s funny, yes. But also creepy. I felt a bit like the part in “Being John Malkovich” when the same actor plays all of the actors in the restaurant. The machine didn’t just tweak my face; it conjured up entirely new versions of me—dozens of identities with backstories I could theoretically live out. Some of the images didn’t even look much like me. For instance, I’d never wear a black shirt with a blue blazer, just wouldn’t. In a few shots, the machine added an extra 15 pounds, which I found mildly offensive—though it also left me wondering if I had actually gained weight without noticing.

And here’s the thing: this goes deeper than silly pictures. It touches on age-old questions about identity, will, and individuality. What makes a person unique, special, even sacred? These aren’t frivolous questions left behind in a dusty 11th-grade classroom or college seminar. They’re questions we’re grappling with now, more urgently than ever. My queasy reaction to those AI photos suggests that these ancient ideas still matter. They’re not just relics of another time; they’re tools for understanding who we are in this one.

So, as entertaining as these moments with AI can be, maybe they’re also a call to reflect on what it means to be human. To embrace the person we’re meant to be, with all our quirks, imperfections, and unique histories.

For now, I’m sticking with my human headshot.

This document is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities or investment advisory services. I am the Portfolio Manager of Barca Capital, LLC, but the views I express are my own and not necessarily those of my firm.