Before You Upload That Photo to AI: What Every Parent Should Know

AI is everywhere right now!

It can help write an email, plan a vacation, create a recipe from what’s in your refrigerator, help with homework, brainstorm birthday ideas, organize a schedule, edit a photo, remove something from the background, or even create an entirely new image from a photograph.

And honestly, some of it is pretty amazing.

I use AI in my everyday life too.

But as a photographer and a mom, there is one part of the AI conversation that I don't think families are talking about enough:

What happens when you upload a photograph of your child to an AI program?

I'm not talking about being afraid of AI or refusing to use new technology. I'm talking about simply understanding what you're doing before you click "upload."

A photograph contains more information than you may realize

When you upload a portrait of your teenager, you aren't just uploading a random picture.

You may be uploading a very recognizable image of a real person.

Their face.
Their hair.
Their body.
Their expression.
Their clothing.

If it's a sports photograph, there may also be a school name, team uniform, jersey number or other identifying information in the image.

And depending on the AI service you're using, that photograph is now being processed by another company's system.

That doesn't automatically mean the company "owns your child's face," and it doesn't mean AI suddenly has unlimited permission to reproduce your child forever.

But it does mean something important:

You have shared their image with another platform, and what happens next depends on that platform's privacy policy, settings and terms of use.

Different AI companies handle uploaded content differently. Some consumer AI services may use submitted content, including images, to improve their systems depending on your account and privacy settings. Others have different retention or training policies. Some offer controls that allow users to opt out.

That's why I think we need to stop treating every AI upload like it's nothing more than opening a photo-editing app.

"But I'm only asking it to remove something..."

I get it.

Maybe there's a person in the background.

Maybe you don't like something next to your child.

Maybe you want to remove a watermark from an image. (which is a no no!)

Maybe you just want to see what you or your child would look like with a different hairstyle.

It feels harmless because you're focused on what you're asking AI to do.

But before uploading the photograph, it's also worth asking:

What am I giving the AI service in order for it to do that?

That is the part that is easy to forget.

You are giving the service the original photograph.

What does "AI training" actually mean?

This is where things can get confusing, and unfortunately social media hasn't helped.

You'll sometimes hear people say:

"If you upload your child's picture to AI, AI has their face forever."

That's not necessarily accurate.

AI systems do not all operate under the same rules, and uploading an image doesn't automatically mean your child's individual face is placed into some giant searchable folder where the AI can simply pull it back out later.

However, depending on the service and your settings, the content you submit may be eligible to help improve AI models or other services.

For example, some consumer AI platforms specifically state that submitted content, which can include photographs and files, may be used to improve their systems unless certain privacy controls are changed. Other services handle user content differently.

So rather than asking:

"Does AI have this picture forever?"

I think the better question is:

"Do I know what this particular company is allowed to do with the photograph I'm uploading?"

And if the answer is no, it may be worth checking before uploading your child's portrait.

There is another part of this conversation: changing how our kids look

This one matters to me even more.

As a senior photographer, one of my biggest goals has always been for the person in front of my camera to still look like themselves.

Yes, professional photographs are edited.

I correct lighting and color. I remove temporary blemishes. I may clean up distracting things in the background.

But there is a difference between polishing a photograph and changing the person in it.

AI has made changing someone's appearance incredibly easy.

"Make her thinner."

"Give him more muscles."

"Fix her nose."

"Change his smile."

"Make her skin perfect."

"Make her prettier."

Think about that for a minute!

Imagine being seventeen years old and discovering that someone took a photograph of you and asked artificial intelligence to create a "better" version.

Even when it is done with completely innocent intentions, I think we should consider the message that can send.

Our kids already live in a world of filters, FaceTune, social media comparisons and unrealistic beauty standards.

AI has simply made those changes easier and more convincing.

Sometimes the most valuable thing about a portrait is that years from now, it actually looks like the person you remember.

The crooked smile.

The freckles.

The laugh lines.

The hair they insisted on wearing that way.

The things that made them them.

What about removing a photographer's watermark?

This is another area where AI has made something that used to require editing skills incredibly easy.

There are now tools where someone can upload a watermarked photograph and ask AI to remove the watermark.

But removing the watermark does not suddenly make the photograph yours.

The photographer generally still owns the copyright to the photograph unless those rights have specifically been transferred. U.S. copyright law also contains protections concerning intentionally removing or altering copyright-management information in certain circumstances.

More simply:

AI isn't a loophole around purchasing or licensing a photograph.

If a photographer has placed a watermark on a proof, screenshot or preview, there is probably a reason it's there.

Ask them about purchasing the image rather than asking AI to remove it.

I'm not telling parents not to use AI

Please don't read this as an anti-AI rant.

AI is an incredible tool.

It is going to become even more integrated into our phones, cameras, social media and everyday lives.

Our kids will probably use technology in ways we haven't even imagined yet.

I think the answer isn't avoiding AI.

The answer is learning how to use it thoughtfully.

Before uploading a photograph of yourself or your child, take a few seconds and ask:

• What company am I uploading this to?

• What does its privacy policy say about uploaded images?

• Can my content be used to improve or train its AI?

• Is there a setting that allows me to opt out?

• How long is my image retained?

• Am I comfortable sharing everything visible in this photograph?

• If this is someone else's photograph, do I actually have permission to alter or use it this way?

You don't need a degree in artificial intelligence.

You just need to be aware that clicking Upload is still sharing information.

And maybe this is the bigger conversation

For years we've taught our kids to be careful about what they post online.

Don't share your address.

Don't tell strangers where you are.

Think before you post.

Maybe our conversations about AI should simply become the next chapter of that lesson.

Think before you upload.

AI can be fun.

AI can be useful.

AI can be incredibly powerful.

But when the photograph contains the face of someone you love, especially your child, it's worth taking an extra minute to understand where you're sending it and what you're agreeing to.

Technology is moving incredibly fast.

A little education helps us enjoy the good parts without blindly clicking through the important ones.

*Image used at top of article was AI generated.