The recent contest by the influencer platform Fanvue has stirred controversy by awarding prizes to three AI-generated personalities. The world's first Miss AI pageant aimed to judge AI-created social media influencers but has faced backlash for promoting unrealistic beauty standards. The crowned winner, imaginary Instagram influencer Kenza Layli from Morocco, has sparked criticism, particularly from women in the AI community.
Dr. Sasha Luccioni, an AI researcher at Hugging Face, voiced concerns, saying that this contest is another instance of AI contributing to the objectification of women. The World AI Creator Awards (WAICA) included a contest that strategically leveraged negative publicity to garner attention for a company adept at capitalizing on online visibility, whether related to AI or not.
The broader narrative here is the increasing integration of AI-generated content into mainstream culture. The rise of Instagram influencers has been notable as tools like have simplified the creation of countless images of women, often in provocative poses. Techniques such as Dreambooth further enhance these AI models, allowing customization for various scenarios.
Since its emergence in 2022, reported that this technology has faced criticism for perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards and objectifying women. Critics argued that contests like "Miss AI" only exacerbate these concerns, reinforcing ideals of femininity defined by AI-generated imagery. The contest's rules are puzzling,.