The Paper reporter Nan Boyi intern Xiao Yuhao
According to European News Network (EN) on April 25, the world's first artificial intelligence beauty contest "Miss AI" was jointly launched by the social platform Fanvue and the World Artificial Intelligence Creator Awards (WAICAs), and many AI-generated "fake models" will compete for a prize of up to 20,000 US dollars (about 145,000 yuan) and have the opportunity to become "the world's first".
Anyone who thinks beauty pageants belong to the last century may be surprised to learn that beauty pageants are also becoming part of the "future". Thanks to the creation of artificial intelligence images, beauty pageants have become more unique than ever. The difference between this contest and other popular beauty pageant formats is that the participating models themselves are not human. Instead, "Miss AI" is a beauty contest for AI models, and judges will judge them based on their qualities and influence on social platforms.
Miss AI beauty contest
Will Monanage, co-founder of Fanvue, said: "We share WAICAs' vision of being the Oscars of the AI creator economy. ”
The "Miss AI" pageant is exactly what it sounds like: an old-fashioned beauty pageant, but with artificial intelligence. A team of judges, consisting of two humans and two virtual models, will classify AI-generated photos of women and select one to be awarded the title of "Miss AI". The winner will receive a cash prize and a chance to monetize their work on Fanvue.
Anyone can participate in the world's first artificial intelligence "Miss AI" beauty pageant. This is good news for everyone. We can create an AI model for "she" to participate in a contest to win a prize, as long as she meets the beauty pageant criteria.
Contestants in the "Miss AI" pageant will be judged on three aspects: first, their appearance, including their beauty and demeanor, second, the creator's use of AI tools, such as visual details around their hands and eyes, and finally, their influence on social platforms, based on the number of interactions they have with their followers, audience growth rate, and use of other platforms such as Instagram.
Of course, the competition isn't just about who has the most beautiful figure. In addition to "beauty" and "demeanor", contestants will be asked a mandatory question, which is "how will they achieve world peace" or "if AI models could talk, what would be their dreams?"
Is it a leap or a regression?
A press release issued by WAICAs states that the competition "marks a monumental leap forward."
However, the report said that this is not so much a "leap" as a huge step backwards. Instead of subverting traditional aesthetic standards, AI models exaggerate them. They bundle together all the strict standards of gender beauty into a completely unrealistic design. Take, for example, the two AI models who served as judges for the competition: Aitana Lopez and Emily Pellegrini.
Pellegrini was designed by an anonymous creator. The creator said that they asked the average man what his dream lover was on Chat GPT, and then designed the model exactly along that lines. That is: long hair, big breasts, flawless skin, and a sculptural figure. Similarly, Pellegrini is also a purely digital creation, she is said to have made thousands of dollars on Fanvue, and some famous footballers have also left messages on her Instagram because they consider her a real person.
Another judge, Lopez, has been called "Spain's first AI model", who models for brands and earns "up to 10,000 euros a month". Lopez's creators, who run an AI-powered modeling agency called The Clueless, have shied away from criticism of Lopez's sexualized appearance, believing they are simply conforming to market forces. One of the creators said: "If we don't follow this aesthetic, brands won't be interested. ”
To add some sanity to the contest process, Lord Alan Sugar's PR consultant Andrew Bloch and Miss England chief judge Sally Ann Fawcett will serve as the other two judges.
Artificial intelligence is being used in disturbing ways
The contest sponsor, Fanvue, is a social "creator" platform. The company calls fake models like Pellegrini and Lopez "AI creators," though it might be more accurate to call them "AI creators." The company expects the AI "creation" industry to reach $1 billion by 2024, and its utopian competition, Miss AI, will set the industry's "Oscars."
"With the help of our platform, the number of AI creators entering this space has grown exponentially, their fan base has expanded, and their content has become monetized," Monanchi said. 'Miss AI' is just one of the planned awards. ”
While the budget for the "Miss AI" contest is clearly on the low side, it is understandable that there are concerns that the explosion of AI-generated models will only exacerbate unrealistic aesthetic standards, especially for young girls (there are no "Mr. AI" contests yet).
As young as 10 years old have become obsessed with skincare and anti-aging products, the number of people in their 20s who have been injected with "preventive Botox" to prevent wrinkles has risen dramatically. The proliferation of AI influencers, coupled with their flawless faces, will lead to a "greater boom" in the plastic surgery and beauty industry.
Dove is one of the brands that has reacted quickly to this, expanding the scope of its "Real Beauty" campaign to reject AI beauty standards. Some brands, including Dove, have even pledged not to use artificial intelligence in place of real people in advertising. Still, it seems inevitable that we will see more and more AI-generated influential "people" in the mainstream. And to save social platforms, it will take much more than these brands to act.
This issue is edited by Xing Tan