Fake Vacation Photos: The App for Burned Out Travelers

The Rise of AI-Generated Escapism

In an era marked by the resurgence of demanding startup cultures, and the adoption of intense work schedules like the “996” system – working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week – the emergence of an application designed to fabricate vacation photographs presents a somewhat unsettling paradox.

Nevertheless, this is the current landscape.

Introducing Endless Summer

Laurent Del Rey, a product designer recently joining Meta’s Superintelligence Lab, has unveiled a side project titled Endless Summer. This iPhone application functions as an AI-powered photo booth, generating vacation images featuring the user in diverse global locations.

Imagine yourself exploring a charming coastal town, or enjoying a panoramic view of a European city from a private balcony. The app creates scenarios of you shopping, dining with companions, or participating in social events.

Notably, these generated images do not depict individuals engaged in discussions about artificial intelligence, entrepreneurial pursuits, or the challenges of sleep deprivation.

Del Rey explained the app’s purpose on X, stating it’s intended for moments “when burnout hits and you need to manifest the soft life u deserve.”

Essentially, if experiencing life directly is unattainable, simulating it becomes an alternative.

Inspiration and Development

Del Rey shared with TechCrunch that his inspiration stemmed from a deep affection for summer and the associated positive feelings.

“I aimed to replicate that sensation,” he stated. “The product experience was reverse-engineered from this feeling. I began with an Xcode project, directly shaping the code to achieve the desired outcome.”

The resulting user interface is remarkably straightforward. A small camera preview button resides at the screen's bottom. Tapping this button initiates the AI generation of a “summer” photograph.

The images then appear in a camera roll-like display, each portraying the user – or an AI representation thereof – seemingly content while exploring the world.

Technical Underpinnings

The core functionality relies on Gemini’s Nano Banana image model, which processes prompts to create various iterations of the summer photo output.

Del Rey assures users that selfies are not stored unless the optional auto-generation mode is activated. Furthermore, account deletion is simplified with a two-tap process, ensuring complete data removal.

Pricing and Features

While Nano Banana incurs costs, Endless Summer does not offer unlimited free image generation. Users encounter a paywall after creating their initial six images, with payment options suggested proactively.

The pricing structure is relatively accessible for those curious about personalized AI imagery or lamenting a missed summer vacation.

• 30 images: $3.99
• 150 images: $17.99
• 300 images: $34.99

A “Room Service” mode can be enabled to automatically deliver two new photos each morning, showcasing ongoing summer adventures. Users can also specify their gender or allow the app to determine it automatically (“Auto” mode).

An option to automatically save the AI-generated images to the iPhone’s Camera Roll is also available.

Recently, the app added the capability to generate Halloween-themed photos, featuring users in various costumes.

A Nostalgic Aesthetic

The generated photos possess a vintage film aesthetic, enhancing their resemblance to authentic lifestyle images.

This design choice evokes a sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of the mid-2000s era.

This aligns with broader trends in online photo sharing, such as the adoption of retro technologies – like the resurgence of disposable cameras among younger generations – and the posting of unedited, less-polished images on platforms like Instagram.

There's a growing desire for a more genuine, less-curated portrayal of life online.

The irony of this trend being facilitated by artificial intelligence is striking.