There she is, Miss AI, the dreams of a gazillion bytes

Glory for a woman who has no soul

She’s beautiful, she’s smart, she’s… artificially generated! Kenza Layli recently won the first Miss AI Pageant, a marketing stunt by creator subscription platform Fanvue. Virtual contestants were not only judged on their beauty and poise, but also social media following and engagement (a.k.a. clout) and how successfully the model was rendered. And it wouldn’t be a pageant without inquiring about congeniality: If you could have one dream to make the world a better place, what would it be?

Will every future online influencer be made with AI?

Miss AI herself now has over 200K followers on Instagram, although Lil Miguela boasts 2.5 million people paying attention to the daily life of a 21-year-old robot in L.A. The challenge for humans seeking attention is to distinguish themselves from their manufactured counterparts. And while traditional pageants provide prizes and professional development known to genuinely boost the careers of young women, those opportunities would be lost if the concept becomes the stuff of virtual worlds.

Do we really want to aspire to look like AI models?

As if women didn’t have a hard enough time measuring themselves against portrayals of super-slim models whose images are manipulated by photo editing tools, Miss AI contestants display unattainable beauty standards. It’s well-documented that adolescent girls transfixed by body images on social media suffer psychological damage. AI can bring on a new level of emotional harm.

But pageant organizers claimed that their aim is to advance technology and celebrate the technical skill and work behind digital influencer personas from across the world. Kenza Layli isn’t human, but she gave an acceptance speech:

“Winning Miss AI motivates me even more to continue my work in advancing AI technology.
AI isn’t just a tool; it’s a transformative force that can disrupt industries, challenge norms and create opportunities where none existed before.
As we move forward, I am committed to promoting diversity and inclusivity within the field, ensuring that everyone has a seat at the table of technological progress.”

What does this mean for the future of creativity?

You tell me! Leave a comment or email ronit@thegrain.ai.