Why AI Headshots Are a False Economy (And What They Actually Cost You)

AI headshots are alright. It’s genuinely impressive what it can get from a simple iPhone photo, but you absolutely can still tell the difference between an AI headshot and a professionally taken one.

It’s a weird one, because this topic is fundamentally so wrapped up in all other areas of conversation around being pro or anti-AI, however I’m going to avoid talking about any moral, political or environmental considerations in this article and simply focus on the economics of headshots and how they affect your business.

Where AI headshots are genuinely fine

If you’re using your headshot as a simple slack avatar, then I don’t think anyone will be able to tell the difference, so go for broke.

There are situations where the image is so small that it’s completely passable to use an AI headshot, but at the same time, if that’s the case you can probably just use a selfie as well.

The industry that you’re in is probably the biggest factor, if you work in AI, especially in any kind of image generation then it completely makes sense to show off that aspect of your work. Or, if you are in some kind of animating, or cartoon style graphic design, then creating a more cartoon like headshot for yourself using AI is perfectly applicable.

I’m not someone who will say that it’s never a good choice to make, but the headshots you chose and especially if we’re talking AI vs real life absolutely sends a signal to the people who see an image that you’ve chosen to represent yourself.

Where it falls apart

The problem starts the moment the photo has to actually do a job.

Headshots are intrinsically wrapped into your branding and marketing, the main purpose of having headshots is to build trust with your clients, reinforce your messaging around who you are as an individual/brand/company, and ultimately to increase sales.

As such, people will make judgements about you based on your headshots. Literally the whole point of them is to create a positive judgement about you.

If you are trying to build trust, but you use an AI generated headshot then that will, for a lot of people, undermine that trust. Not just because there is a lot of negative sentiment around the use of AI, but because that image could be anyone, so people who are first coming into contact with your company will be less sure that they are going to be dealing with real people, let alone the person in the image.

This also sows the idea that you use AI across other areas of your business. Again, can be positive for some people, but will have a hugely negative impact for others. Especially if the work they’re paying (or considering paying) you to do, could be done, or has a reputation of being done by AI on the cheap.

The human side

One thing that is often overlooked is the actual people centered side of things.

For some people, corporate headshots are only time that they get their headshots taken professionally. Typically, it’s work photos and weddings, that’s it.

If you pick the right photographer, then the process of getting your headshot taken professionally is actually quite fun and exciting (there’s usually a healthy amount nerves mixed in there as well).

It’s someone’s chance to be in the limelight and feel special, valued, and a bit of a celebrity. Exemplified by the number of people that bring multiple outfits, come in with examples or their favourite shots they’ve seen of friends, connections on LI, or other people’s websites (or sometimes even celebs), and make sure to get a haircut that week.

They get guidance on how to pose, how to take up space, look confident, and bring out their personality. That’s something you would struggle to get from a few phone selfies and a slightly too polished version of themselves from AI.

The credibility cost

Inevitably you will have seen a ton of different ways that AI has been used by brands that has caused immense backlash and huge reputational damage. There will also likely be areas in your own life (business or otherwise) that AI has had a positive impact and alleviated some of the boring work that you would rather not do.

It is absolutely a personal decision on whether you think AI headshots are appropriate for your business, and how that will affect your brands image, but simply because you might only see your headshot as a minor inconvenience that you have get every few years, doesn’t mean that it’s not having an impact on how people see you on a daily basis.

The financial aspects

For larger companies you may be comparing professional headshots at £50-£100 per person (can be much much higher) versus maybe £1 per person for AI headshots – for a 30 person team that could be £30 versus £3000… a huge difference that anyone in charge of making a budget go as far as possible will look at whilst drooling over the potential cost savings.

The thing that isn’t obvious are the hidden costs/benefits. How many clients would you have to bring on board to pay that back? How much more seriously would people take your CEO, CMO, or CFO when they get public speaking opportunities? How much more trust and engagement would it create across 30 staff posting on LinkedIn if they had a good set of (real) headshots?

The amount of impact that your headshot has on these and many other factors is unlikely 100% or even 50% of the way that someone sees your company as a whole, but it will never be zero. So, would (for example) a 10% higher trust from your clients put more than £3000 in your pocket every 3 or so years for a 30 person company?

And conversely, what would the cost of lower levels of trust be to your company? Would you risk losing more than the £2970 difference between the two options if you sowed a seed of uncertainty early on in the sales process… for several years, across every channel where your company headshots are visible?

The impact, in my opinion, increases significantly with smaller businesses or freelancers, as you likely have a lot fewer opportunities to try and gain your clients trust when they’re searching for your service out in the big wide world. AND there’s a greater likelihood that you are the face of the brand.

My honest take

If you’re in an industry, or your clients are in an industry that is very pro-AI and its use is overt and accepted, then go for it. It’s a huge cost saving and will likely have very little downside.

If you’re in an industry where people are hesitant about the use of AI (which for now, will be most) and you value building trust with your clients from the earliest touch points, then get a professional and find the best one for the budget you have.

If you’re thinking about getting it done properly

If you’re considering a professional headshot session in London and want to talk through what would work best for you, get in touch. The pre-shoot conversation is where we figure out what the photo actually needs to do, which, as it turns out, is the bit AI can’t do.