When apps outperform filters: the Case of Remini

The first time I came across a TikTok video showcasing a black-and-white AI-generated photoshoot, I thought it was a joke. A prank, or perhaps one of those odd sponsored ads where a robotic voice urges you to buy something. I clicked “Not Interested” and continued my usual scrolling. A few days later, the same photoshoot reappeared. Annoyed yet intrigued by the algorithm’s persistence, I decided to watch the AI-generated portraits. Quickly becoming a trend on the platform, these neatly packaged professional AI portraits initially seemed nothing special. The results resemble a more polished and sometimes sexualized version of LinkedIn headshots, featuring tailored suits and crisp white shirts.

From Immuni to the Baby Fever Trend

The viral AI-generated photos come from an app called Remini. Owned by Bending Spoons, an Italian software company known for developing Immuni, the contact-tracing app designed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Remini AI has been on the market since 2019. According to the company’s website, the app helps millions of users enhance blurry images, generate professional portraits, and even predict what their future children might look like—a feature that, according to the Wall Street Journal, has sparked a “baby fever” among users.

The Versatility of Remini AI

Remini doesn’t just create LinkedIn-style AI portraits. The app offers a variety of futuristic possibilities, such as visualizing yourself and your partner as expectant parents, experimenting with virtual hairstyles, or even embracing your younger self—a feature that some might find unsettling. Users are naturally drawn to the myriad of AI-powered transformations, and on TikTok, this technology isn’t only used to create fictional children but is often applied to real ones, leaving many amazed by what appears to be digital magic.

The Issues with AI-Driven Technologies

In recent months, numerous companies have decided to remove face filters from their platforms. Last month, Meta shut down its Spark AR application, which allowed users to generate augmented reality face filters, leading Instagram and Facebook to eliminate user-created and company-developed filters. Similarly, TikTok, owned by ByteDance, announced new restrictions on face filters in November 2024 to protect young users' mental health.

When thinking about AI-powered face filters, I often compare them to stock images—perhaps an unusual analogy at first. However, like stock photos, these tools derive power from content standardization, instant accessibility, and mass reproduction. Notably, Remini AI was the most downloaded app in the United States in 2024, surpassing even ChatGPT for an entire week. The evolution from simple face filters to AI-generated portraits raises an important question: should we celebrate these technologies for their ability to create digital offspring, or should we question why all these “children” look eerily alike, as if straight out of an eugenics catalog?