Stanford Under Fire for AI Race and Gender Swaps in Student Ads
The university's dining services department is accused of altering student appearances, including race and gender, in promotional materials.
Stanford University's Residential & Dining Enterprises (SR&DE) has drawn criticism for using artificial intelligence to alter the appearances of students featured in its advertisements. The student-run newspaper, The Stanford Review, reported that AI was employed to change the race and gender of students, and even to slim their faces, in promotional images.
One student, Billy Ramirez, expressed shock and dismay upon discovering that his image in an advertisement had been replaced with that of a Black woman. "At first, I found it hilarious that they had used AI to completely change our appearances, including my race and gender," Ramirez told The Stanford Review. "But after looking at the comparison, I was also upset because I don’t agree with Stanford making those choices about how we were represented."
Ramirez felt that the manipulation of his identity led to a sense of being "silenced and erased from a representation that was supposed to include me."
Two other students depicted alongside Ramirez also had their images modified by AI, with their faces appearing slimmer in the final advertisement.
SR&DE is responsible for overseeing housing and dining operations for Stanford's student population of over 18,000.