For many of us, the nineties, if we lived through them, evoke mixed feelings. Memories of then-popular music groups like Scooter and DJ Bobo, the questionable fashion and certain aesthetics may not evoke the fondest memories. All the more sensational is the artificial intelligence-assisted image generator “Epik“, which creates photos in the style of that decade.
The way of using Epik is quite simple and straightforward. All that needs to be done is to upload about eight to twelve different images, ideally with different facial expressions and backgrounds. Epik’s artificial intelligence then transforms these into motifs that emulate the nineties. Portraits of the face or upper body work particularly well. While the user’s gender can be specified, the AI can also basically recognize this itself.
Epik and the “AI-Yearbook” function became popular through its use by celebrities such as Knossi, Laura Wontorra and Keke Palmer. They shared their transformed images on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter and TikTok under the hashtag #aiyearbook. Although the resulting images don’t convince everyone, they are overwhelmingly seen as entertaining.
The app was developed by the South Korean company Snow and has been on the market for some time. However, it only became really successful with the update for AI-Yearbooks. In the meantime, Epik has gained many fans, especially in the USA and Europe. It has even made it into the top 3 of the App Store charts for the photo/video category and is also gaining ground on Google Play. But this unwavering popularity is also causing bottlenecks and delays in the creation of image packs. Users can choose whether they want to receive their image pack within 24 hours for 3.99 euros or within two hours for 6.99 euros.
Despite the entertaining purpose of use, there are also concerns about data security. Even though the manufacturer asserts that the uploaded pictures are not stored permanently and are deleted after three years at the latest, a residual risk remains. It cannot be completely ruled out that the images could be used for other purposes, such as training other artificial intelligences. Nevertheless, the app has a valid business model: In addition to the paid Pro subscription and special filters and additional functions, users also pay for the image package.
Whether this trip down memory lane to the decade of the nineties is just a passing trend or something more remains to be seen. But one thing Epik’s results definitely show is the impressive possibilities and potential of artificial intelligence. Regardless of the concerns, the image generator Epik is an interesting gadget that you can happily invest a few Euros in for entertainment.
