Popular app uses AI to show what your future children could look like - But, is it safe?

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Have you ever wondered what your future kids will look like?

Well, there's an app for that. It's called "Remini." The app uses artificial intelligence to generate photos of what your children could look like, but one cyber security expert is voicing concerns as Remini takes social media by storm.

Daisy Reyes is a self-proclaimed TikTok influencer with nearly 500,000 followers.

"I'm always looking at what's the upcoming trend, the new trends. I've seen everybody, literally everybody doing this trend. So you already know, I had to hop on it!" Reyes said.

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Reyes said she recently downloaded the Remini app, which allows you to see what your future children could look like. She uploaded a picture of herself and her boyfriend, Rex, and boom! An image of her future baby was generated by artificial intelligence.

"When she showed it to me, I was kind of stunned. I thought it did kind of look like me," said Rex Flores.

"I felt like it was a mixture, but definitely more like him," Reyes added.

Melissa McDuffie, who has nearly 200,000 followers on TikTok, said she also tried the Remini app.

"I really like this trend, because I'm at the age where I'm married, and I'm ready to start having children. I thought it would be interesting to go ahead and see what they might look like," McDuffie said. "Artificial intelligence, the AI, can take your pictures and formulate this image, and it's so realistic. I'm an aunt to eight children, and they look very similar to my nieces. And, it's exciting. They're really cute!"

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People all over the world are using the Remini app, and not just to see what their future kids could look like. The app also allows you to see what the kids you already have could look like when they get older.

But, as fun as the app may be, cyber security expert David Barton said users should be cautious.

"The scary thing about this, Samantha, is how accurate it has been. I've seen video clips of folks who have taken the father and the mother, put them in the app and it kicks off a picture that looks like their kid. And, that's a little bit creepy. But, on the flip side, it's kind of cool. It's kind of novel," Barton said.

Barton said users need to read the terms and conditions of these types of apps to understand how your image and likeness could be used. It's also important to know what protections are in place to ensure the artificial intelligence isn't exploited by a third party.

"Are we unintentionally giving future pictures of our kids for folks who might be using it for malicious purposes? I don't know," Barton said. "My gut says, I wouldn't do it. But, I'm a little bit older and more conservative than a lot of people. If you're going to do it, understand there are risks. At the end of the day, we AI-manage our lives by the risks we deal with day in and day out."

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The social media stars say they understand any potential risk, but believe the Remini app has brought joy to many of their followers who also use it.

"Mothers or couples who have miscarried, and they didn't get a chance to see the baby or have the baby, to see a picture of what the baby could look like would really uplift those who are struggling," Reyes said.

"We post pictures on social media every day, let alone the new AI generator with this app. So, I feel like you take that risk and agree to be on social media," McDuffie said. "For myself, I want to be a mother so bad, I could cry. More than anything, I want to be a mother. So, to be able to see an image like that made me happy."

In a statement, the parent company of Remini, which is based out of Milan, Italy, told the I-Team:

"Remini gives users the ability to imagine their lives in many different ways, with stunning realism, and we care deeply about ensuring all our users have a safe and fun experience using our app. By its very nature, the app is constantly evolving, and we will continue to take action to apply safeguards and ensure user privacy...We take data protection and privacy very seriously and have robust protocols in place to ensure we safeguard user rights while allowing them to experience and enjoy the transformative power of generative AI."

McDuffie said the app has intensified her baby fever.

"It made me hopeful for the future, and excited," McDuffie said. "Because they were cute and beautiful. They were beautiful."

Bending Spoons, the company that owns Remini, told the I-Team that facial recognition is not used in the app, and that images are encrypted and stored with a reputable U.S.-based provider, using what they say are "state-of-the-art security standards." The company said users always retain control over their data, and that it does not sell, lease, or trade users' images to any third parties.

The company said it applies comprehensive safeguards to thwart misuse of content.

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