Short answer: AI tools, including ChatGPT and dedicated headshot apps, can generate a polished-looking headshot quickly and cheaply. But the result is an approximation of you, not a photograph of you, and that matters when people meet you in person. For LinkedIn, company websites, press and casting, a real headshot is still the safer choice.
What AI headshots do well
- Speed – results in minutes.
- Low cost – often cheaper than a session.
- Convenience – no travel, no outfit planning.
Where AI headshots fall short
- Likeness – AI can subtly change your features, skin, teeth or hair. The person in the photo may not quite be you.
- Trust – when a client or interviewer meets you and you don’t match your photo, it creates doubt.
- Telltale signs – odd hands, earrings, collars or backgrounds can give an AI image away.
- Casting – agents and casting directors need a true likeness, so AI images are unsuitable for actors.
- Consistency for teams – it’s hard to get a matching, accurate set for a whole company.
- Direction – AI can’t coach a natural expression out of you the way a photographer can.
Side-by-side comparison
| AI headshot | Professional photographer | |
|---|---|---|
| Looks exactly like you | Not always | Yes |
| Natural expression | Generated | Directed and real |
| Suitable for casting | No | Yes |
| Consistent team set | Difficult | Yes |
| Speed | Minutes | One session, images chosen on the day |
| Cost | Low | From £95 with Sandi |
When AI might be fine
For a placeholder avatar, an internal tool or a quick test, an AI image can do the job. For anything where people will judge your credibility, or meet you face to face, a real photograph is worth it.
Why a real headshot is still worth it
A good headshot photographer does more than press the shutter. Sandi Hodkinson has spent 25 years learning how to light each face and direct each person so they look relaxed, confident and like themselves, with minimal retouching. You see your images during the session and choose your favourites before you leave.
Explore LinkedIn headshots, corporate headshots or actors headshots, or call 07966 398805 to book.