Anupam Mittal, a judge on Shark Tank as well as the founder of Shaadi.com, says ChatGPT Images 2.0 can quickly solve LinkedIn’s long-term issue with profile photos. In a recent post on LinkedIn, he explained that AI can quickly change casual pictures into professional headshots, helping you be seen more and getting rid of a surprisingly difficult issue.
From film prints to instant headshots
Mittal thought back to the early days of Shaadi.com and said the biggest problem wasn’t the computer coding, but the photos. In the early 2000s, people had trouble getting pictures on the internet, which meant incomplete profiles and fewer people signing up.
It used to be a lot of work: you had to go to a photo studio, get prints made, scan the prints at an internet cafe, and then email the files. Many people gave up before they finished all those steps, which slowed down the growth of the site and made the experience for users worse.
The modern photo dilemma on LinkedIn
Nowadays, the problem is different. People have very good cameras on their phones and have thousands of pictures on them. But, most people still find it hard to find a professional-looking photo.
Mittal says that most people’s phone galleries are full of selfies, pictures with groups of people, and pictures from vacations, and none of those are usually right for LinkedIn. The lighting, how the picture is composed, and distracting backgrounds frequently make them unusable. And according to LinkedIn’s own data, profiles with professional headshots are viewed a lot more.
How ChatGPT Image 2.0 steps in
Mittal says ChatGPT Image 2.0 can make a polished headshot in seconds by improving a photo you already have. You simply send the program a picture and tell it what you want, specifically the lighting, how your skin looks, your style, and the background.
He gave this as an example: ‘Using the photo I am sending, create a polished, professional headshot for LinkedIn with good, clean light, natural skin tones, a neat style and a simple, high-quality background.’ He says that even a simple instruction like this will get you something you can use, and quickly.
Here are the key points he highlighted about AI-assisted headshots:
– Converts casual photos into clean, professional portraits
– Fixes lighting and background within seconds
– Reduces effort and time for digital identity tasks
Why this matters now
Mittal’s post shows a larger trend: AI is turning tasks about how you present yourself, which used to take a lot of time, into quick and easy processes. Rather than arranging a photoshoot or learning how to edit photos, you can improve a picture with just a few words.
He sees this as being useful, not just a lot of hype. ChatGPT Image 2.0 and similar programs are becoming things people use every day, and are particularly helpful for people at work who want a better presence on LinkedIn without making it more difficult.
From bottleneck to boost
The situation has come full circle. The difficulty with photos once stopped Shaadi.com from getting more users. Now the problem is different, but the solution is much faster.
Because AI makes it easy to get a professional headshot, fewer people will quit while trying to sign up and the quality of profiles will be higher. As Mittal points out, better photos can get you more attention on LinkedIn and getting those photos is now a lot easier.
