Is the world's first AI model beauty pageant a missed opportunity?

Axicom client director Caroline Taylor reports on the first beauty pageant for AI models.

After recently covering Dove’s anti-AI leanings, this week Axicom examines a company going all in on the AI trend.

Last week my colleague Asim reviewed Dove’s anti-AI stance and pledged not to use artificial intelligence (AI) to represent women in its advertising and communications.

This week, I’m reviewing a campaign that takes a completely different approach to the phenomenon of AI-generated content.

Fanvue, a subscription-based platform that hosts virtual models, has collaborated with the World AI Creator Awards (WAICA) to launch the world's first global beauty pageant for AI-generated models.

The Miss AI competition challenges AI creators to develop models and influencers that will compete for the title based on their social media presence, appearance, and technical skill.

The judging panel comprises both AI-generated influencers and real-life experts, including Sally-Ann Fawcett, head judge of Miss Great Britain and a renowned pageant historian.

Caroline’s take

As the narrative continues around AI-generated images perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards, this campaign faces any criticisms head on, unashamedly celebrating AI generated imagery and unreal beauty standards.

With much of the backlash focused on the production of AI generated women lacking diversity, the competition offers creators the chance to change the public’s perception of AI generated humans and it will be interesting to see if they step up to the challenge.

By tapping into a very topical conversation around AI, the WAICA (World AI Creator Awards) campaign has succeeded in generating a huge volume of early headlines across global media and taps directly into celebrating the work of the WAICA’s key audience of creators.

This campaign doesn’t sit well with me. 

It seems superficial and misses a chance to address the crux of the issue which it could have done by bringing in credible third parties to guide creators and properly address the elephant in the room.

It remains to be seen how the next phase of the campaign will unfold. WAICA can use this opportunity to advocate for change and highlight the role of creators in creating equitable AI-generated content.

Image credit: World AI Creator Awards (WAICA)