Voice AI has crossed into production. Deepgram’s 2025 State of Voice AI Report with Opus Research quantifies how 400 senior leaders - many at $100M+ enterprises - are budgeting, shipping, and measuring results.

Adoption is near-universal (97%), budgets are rising (84%), yet only 21% are very satisfied with legacy agents. And that gap is the opportunity: using human-like agents that handle real tasks, reduce wait times, and lift CSAT.

Get benchmarks to compare your roadmap, the first use cases breaking through (customer service, order capture, task automation), and the capabilities that separate leaders from laggards - latency, accuracy, tooling, and integration. Use the findings to prioritize quick wins now and build a scalable plan for 2026.

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Let's be honest—professional headshots are expensive. Between booking a photographer, finding the right outfit, and hoping you don't blink at the wrong moment, you're easily dropping $200-$500. But here's the thing: you probably don't need to.

People have been asking me constantly about turning regular selfies into clean, professional headshots using Google Gemini (specifically the Nano Banana Pro feature), so I'm breaking down exactly how to do it. This isn't some complicated AI wizardry—it's surprisingly straightforward, and the results are legitimately impressive.

You don't need a fancy camera, but you do need good lighting. Natural light from a window works great—just face it so your face is evenly lit without harsh shadows. Make sure your whole face is visible (no weird cropping or sunglasses), and shoot from a natural angle. Think "how I'd look in a video call" rather than "MySpace angle from 2007."

Step 1: Upload your photo to Google Gemini and click on the Tools menu. Select "Create images" (that's the Nano Banana feature).

Step 2: In the lower left corner, switch the model setting to "Thinking." This activates the more advanced processing that actually understands what makes a professional headshot work.

Step 3: Paste in the prompt below and let Gemini work its magic.

Here's the exact prompt that creates those polished, studio-quality results:

"A professional, high-resolution, profile photo, maintaining the exact facial structure, identity, and key features of the person in the input image. The subject is framed from the chest up, with ample headroom and negative space above their head, ensuring the top of their head is not cropped. The person looks directly at the camera, and the subject's body is also directly facing the camera. They are styled for a professional photo studio shoot, wearing a smart casual blazer. The background is a solid '#141414' neutral studio. Shot from a high angle with bright and airy soft, diffused studio lighting, gently illuminating the face and creating a subtle catchlight in the eyes, conveying a sense of clarity. Captured on an 85mm f/1.8 lens with a shallow depth of field, exquisite focus on the eyes, and beautiful, soft bokeh. Observe crisp detail on the fabric texture of the blazer, individual strands of hair, and natural, realistic skin texture. The atmosphere exudes confidence, professionalism, and approachability. Clean and bright cinematic color grading with subtle warmth and balanced tones, ensuring a polished and contemporary feel."

The prompt is specific about maintaining your actual features while adding professional polish—better lighting, cleaner background, proper framing. You get that studio look without the studio price tag.

Is it perfect for every situation? No. But for LinkedIn profiles, company websites, or conference bios? Absolutely good enough. And you can regenerate different versions until you find one you love.

Try it out and save yourself $200.