Are AI LinkedIn Headshots Worth It? My Test Results

Overview

Why Your LinkedIn Profile Picture Matters

Your LinkedIn photo is your first shot at a good impression. It’s your way of telling the world, “Hey, I’m professional, approachable, and totally the best fit for this role!”

Just having a professional image can make your LinkedIn profile 14 times more likely to be viewed.

But if your LinkedIn photo is…

an old headshot that looks nothing like you now
a DIY photo taken against a white wall at home
cropped from a wedding party lineup
or worse, non-existent, making you look like a ghost or scammer

…you’re not putting yourself in the best light.

That’s the lesson I learned when I was recently asked to submit a headshot. I had been invited to speak on a podcast about luxury fashion in China, and they needed a photo of me to promote the episode.

Reluctantly, I sent over the only good headshot I had: my LinkedIn profile picture, taken right before my college graduation.

Because if there’s anything that says I’m a subject expert that should be taken seriously, it’s the sash and cords. Not.

That’s when I realized it was time to update my LinkedIn headshot.

I used the Multiverse AI to generate a new LinkedIn headshot. You can too here.

But the idea of going to a studio filled me with dread. Not only can hiring a professional photographer be costly and time-consuming, but just the thought of driving there, dressing up, and smiling awkwardly in front of a stranger made me cringe.

While searching for alternatives, I stumbled across The Multiverse AI on LinkedIn. I was connected to Tanya, one of the founders, through a previous job, and she had posted about how she had turned her iPhone selfies into the perfect headshot.

The process looked painless enough, and Tanya’s results seemed promising. But would her service actually work for me?

Below is my honest review of the Multiverse AI’s headshot generator and whether I think it’s worth trying.

Creating AI Generated Headshots for LinkedIn: The Good, Bad, and Weird

After paying the $29 fee, I was asked to upload 12–15 images of myself. In 20 minutes, I received an email link with 100 AI-generated professional headshots.

Get 10% off by using my code HEADSHOTS here

Some of them were pretty bad. Like, bad enough to make me do a double take in the mirror. Is my face really that round? Why do my eyes look crossed? These got a few laughs from my friends’ group chat.

A collage of five AI-generated headshots that look the least like the user. — I can only describe these headshots as... cursed.

Others were a bit too good. I don’t have perfectly straight teeth (that’s what happens when you don’t wear your retainers, kids!), and I didn’t like that the AI meddled with my smile. I didn’t like that it hid the “imperfections” that made me me.

Side-by-side pictures with different teeth generated using AI. — There is an option to edit your teeth and facial features. However, I find that the more you alter the generated image, the more distorted the result becomes.

According to the Multiverse AI, you can expect at least 10% of the AI headshots to be a success. That number goes up depending on the quality of your input images.

The ones that were a success were realistic, professional-quality headshots. As a Muslim woman who wears the hijab, I was impressed with how the AI gave me a decent hijab style in almost every photo (a few exposed my hair and neck, but we won’t talk about those) and accurately captured my skin tone and natural brows.

A few tips to get realistic headshots:

Upload 12–20 photos with your face clearly visible. My mistake was uploading pictures favoring one side of my face, hence a few instances of crossed eyes.
Upload photos in a variety of outfits and lighting. These outfits will inform the AI about your fashion taste.
Don’t upload photos that are a series of selfies, taken at the same time.
Don’t upload photos of you wearing hats, sunglasses, or anything that might obscure your face. Hijabs are okay!
Don’t upload group photos. Like a dating app profile, you should be front and center.

Try it for yourself at the AI Headshot Generator by The Multiverse AI

15 input images of the user in different outfits and settings. — I uploaded 15 images of myself in a variety of outfits for the best results.

Customize Your Professional Headshots

While it was fun to see what the AI dressed me in, the blazers and crossed-arm poses that screamed “corporate America” weren’t really my style.

The great thing about the Multiverse AI is the option to customize your outfit using its AI headshot tools. If you’re a creative, go bold with a statement top and earrings. If you’re in business, by all means rock that button-down and tie.

Two AI-generated images side by side, with a prompt to change the blazer in the first image into a leather jacket. — You can change your outfit as many times as you want using the edit tool.

You can also choose a background to set the best professional tone. For example, a neutral background works well for ID photos but may be boring for LinkedIn. In contrast, a natural background can add character but might be distracting.

Three AI-generated photos showing the changes that can be made using the change outfit and change background features. — I removed the logo from the inner hijab cap and swapped the solid green background for an office setting.

If you want even MORE options, the standard package includes 20 customized photos where you have total freedom with the prompt. This is great if you’re in a specialized field. For example, a personal trainer could appear in workout gear at the gym, while a doctor could wear a white coat in front of a hospital.

Three photos of the user along with the custom prompts, depicting her as a fitness trainer, doctor, and an astronaut. — Cosplaying as careers that pay much better than journalism.

Is This Catfishing?

Honestly, I was hesitant to try an AI headshot generator at first. I wasn’t sure if the results would be photorealistic, and even if they were, I wasn’t sure how comfortable I’d be posting them. I wanted to be seen as authentic.

But here’s the thing: humans have been editing photos since the photo was invented. Nay, since the portrait was invented. So what makes something “real”? What makes for a good self portrait?

A whopping 87% of people mistake professional AI headshots for real ones. In fact, I dare you to take the Multiverse AI’s “AI or Not” quiz and see for yourself how tricky it can be to distinguish one from the other (I scored a 6/10). It’s even harder to tell when the photo in question is a 400 x 400 pixel LinkedIn profile picture.

Two photos of the user that look photorealistic but are, in fact, AI generated. — They’re both AI generated!

While many of the pictures I created with the Multiverse AI looked obviously computer-generated — or like some version of myself in an alternate universe — a few looked almost creepily realistic.

With 100 headshots to choose from, you can select the ones that look most like you and focus on editing those, ensuring you end up with a handful of photos you’re pleased with.

Are AI Headshots Worth It?

I don’t think AI generators are going to replace professional photographers anytime soon. I probably wouldn’t use an AI photo for, say, a casting call or for a poster that’s being blown up and printed.

But if you’re limited on time and budget, here’s why I think AI headshots are worth the investment.

For less than $30, you get 100 photos + 20 custom options
It takes less than 10 minutes to onboard + 10 minutes to pick out selfies
You’re guaranteed several viable options
Results are generated in less than 2 hours, making it convenient in a pinch
You can do everything from the comfort of your home, without interacting with another human being

And those 10 or so good AI headshots can be used beyond LinkedIn, for speaker bios, guest posts, social media, team pages, and more.

Now, if someone requests my headshot, I can send one with confidence. That alone makes it worth it. Need my pic? Attached and sent.

If you’re ready to nail that first impression on LinkedIn, click here.

Are AI Headshots for LinkedIn Worth It? My Review.