Gitex Global: Realistic, vintage or cartoonish; get your cool AI-generated portrait through Smart Art

One of the popular stands at the five-day Gitex Global 2023 in Dubai – which concludes on Friday – is the Smart Art by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA).

Here, visitors are lining up to get their AI (artificial intelligence)-generated portraiture. The stand is where “art meets technology”, according to TDRA.

The digital photos are generated in a matter of seconds after all information of how you want to look like are received by the AI software via voice prompt.

‘Smile, I’m Salim’

An avatar wearing a kandura named Salim serves as the virtual guide. His task is to engage the visitor with a series of questions to know how your photo will look like: abstract, realistic, vintage or cartoonish.

The AI portrait is tailored to your unique preference so Salim will also ask you of your concept in mind – would you like your photo to look surreal, dreamlike, or with a rural or city landscape.

You also have to give your preferred colour palette – whether you want pastel, bright or contrasting colour scheme.

After you share your preferences, a quick snapshot of your face is taken by the camera.

‘You will never know what you will get’

Then comes the more exciting part. “It’s the anticipation of what you will look like which is the best part,” Yana Goryunova, a visiting Russian tourist, told Khaleej Times.

Yana, who patiently waited for her turn, said with glee: “I like my photo because it looks like me. But the best part about the AI-generated is expecting how you will look like because you will never know what you will get.”

An AI-generated portrait will materialise on the screen and a QR code will appear to save a digital version, aside from the photo printout.

Self-representation

The digitally-enhanced photos have clearly struck a chord among the visitors because it was all about self-representation. People obviously like to see pictures of themselves looking good. And they can play around with Smart Art as they make their photos appear cosmic, in fantasy, or make themselves look like a pop or rock star.

As for Yana, she now has a new DP or display picture for her social media.

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