In recent days, the Internet has been flooded with creative depictions of people as if they were characters from animated worlds or miniature action figures. Many upload their photos into tools that use advanced technology to create visuals inspired by Japanese cartoons or futuristic concepts. However, behind these attractive images lie more serious challenges that are not only about aesthetics.
The mass generation of visuals using advanced algorithms has become a viral phenomenon, but it also brings with it significant energy consumption. Experts warn that the processes of generating images require many times more electricity compared to ordinary Internet searches. This increase in resource consumption indicates an increasingly pronounced gap between entertainment and responsible use of digital systems.
At the same time, there is increasing attention to worrying aspects of identity protection. Every photo that users enter into the system represents a potential source of information that can be used in the further development of algorithms, including biometric processing. While many people upload photos out of curiosity or a desire for creative expression, they are unwittingly giving companies access to data that would otherwise be legally protected.
European regulations such as the GDPR strictly regulate the collection of information from the internet, requiring clear legal bases and measures to preserve individual autonomy. However, when individuals share images themselves via an interface, it is treated as voluntary consent, giving companies the right to process them without further restrictions. This, as legal experts point out, makes the situation sensitive.
By using this approach, technology companies gain direct insight into visual data that may never have been published before. This raises questions about transparency and the long-term consequences for digital security. While most users access these tools for entertainment, the truth is that behind the scenes, a complex mechanism operates that uses users’ enthusiasm to expand their own knowledge bases.