A popular service in China uses artificial intelligence (AI) to predict the appearance of unborn babies’ faces, advertised on e-commerce platforms. Claiming to forecast the baby’s future face from four-dimensional ultrasound images, the service has gained viral attention, attracting tens of thousands of customers. Prices range from about 10 to 30 yuan on Taobao, China’s largest e-commerce platform.
Providers use AI to generate newborn baby faces based on ultrasound images, typically obtained during the 18-22 week pregnancy checkup known as an anomaly or anatomy scan. Some parents use these scans to see their baby’s potential appearance, though results can vary widely.
One shop on Taobao uses the AI program Midjourney, which generates four potential baby faces after receiving ultrasound images and prompts from customers. The process can take between 30 to 120 minutes per image, with options to refine them at additional cost.
However, the reliability of the AI-generated faces is questionable, as they vary with different text prompts and may not closely resemble actual newborns. Providers suggest an 80 to 90 percent similarity to ultrasound images, but cannot guarantee accuracy.
Critics argue that ultrasound scans do not accurately predict a baby’s post-birth appearance due to composite images and potential blurring from fetal movement. Despite this, many parents view the service as entertainment or a novelty rather than a scientifically sound prediction.
On social media, discussions liken the service to a “blind box,” with customers curious to see if their baby will resemble the AI-generated images.
