Parents use ChatGPT to dodge pricey school pictures. But should you?

The price of school photos is leading some parents to create their own at home with the help of AI image generators.

Parents are taking to social media to share affordable "hacks" for do-it-yourself-style school portraits. Some snap a smartphone photo of their kids in front a white wall before uploading the photo to a software like ChatGPT, asking the chatbot to regenerate the photo "like a school picture." Others are using AI to remove watermarks from proofs, a workaround that could have more serious consequences.

And chatbots aren't the only way parents are evading watermarks, which are usually the name of a photographer or photography company placed on a photo before parents purchase copies. A simple Google search results in a long list of AI-powered websites that market tools to easily remove watermarks like Watermark Remover, OpenArt and Fotor.

As high gas and grocery prices send parents looking for more wallet-friendly options, there are some drawbacks they should consider before turning to a chatbot.

The price of professional Picture Day portraits varies per company. Capturely, a photography company that offers virtual photo sessions, estimates that most families spend $25-60 per child on professional school pictures.

Here's a sampling of…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/money/