From cartoon dog ears to photorealistic make-up looks – how AI has advanced social media filters.
From cartoon dog ears to photorealistic make-up looks – how AI has advanced social media filters.
Artificial intelligence has advanced at a rapid rate, from its integration into voice over, animation, writing, modelling – and now social media filters. Back in 2015, Snapchat’s AR filters had us playing around with cartoonish heart eyes and dog ears, and today, multiple social media platforms have introduced to us photorealistic filters that are almost inseparable from real life.
When AR filters were first introduced to social media platforms, the technology worked through pattern recognition as it identified the highlights and shadows of human faces. Predefined points such as darker eye sockets and lighter cheekbones were mapped up against the user, and with these landmarks a 3D mesh could be created. AR effects could then be applied to your facial mesh and overlayed on top of your camera feed, which is why the filter could be triggered by objects that resembled human faces, or why AR lashes would still hover over your eyes when you covered them with your hands.
Now, AI has evolved to where swiping a hand over your face will leave the filter undisturbed, and the ability to recognize when someone is using a filter is getting harder. With the latest filters, what you see on your camera feed isn’t a mesh overlayed on top of your face, but a whole new image entirely, drawn pixel by pixel based on your face and the millions of others it’s been trained on. TikTok has recently rolled out a bunch of filters powered by this generative technology, from filters that erase your hair to ones that apply a realistic smile or pout to your face.
But there’s one filter that has taken the internet by storm in particular– “Bold Glamour”.
As soon as you apply the Bold Glamour filter, your face is bedazzled with dramatic eyeshadow, full lashes and foundation that smooths the skin. But virtual make-up isn’t the only thing aiding this transformation, the filter also subtly reconstructs your face – giving everyone the same plumper lips, thinner nose and higher brow bone, and in doing so, sending the message that to look glamorous, your features need to fit into a beauty standard. With how photorealistic these filters are, and how algorithms already push creators that fit their definition of beauty, we can expect to see a new unattainable standard online – and AI filters have already seeped into livestreams and advertisements, with influencers tricking audiences into believing the products they promote are what cause their clear skin or smooth hair.
As pioneers of AI for social media campaigns, our creative team know that, while filters can be fun, entertaining and promote creativity with text to filter generative effects, we should be mindful of their impact on our self-perception and the messages they send about what is considered “beauty”.
If you would like to learn more about the advancement of AI within social media, feel free to contact us at [email protected].
As a journalist specialising in video content, Emily possesses expertise across all facets of the industry, from emerging trends to innovative communication strategies that empower brands to effectively tell their stories.