The beauty pageant industry isn’t what it used to be. Miss Universe, which has been around since 1952, has suffered a dramatic ratings decline in the last five years. In May, the reigning Miss USA and Miss Teen USA gave back their crowns, sparking fresh controversy in the community.
Yet, a new kind of beauty pageant has emerged. This pageant is similar in many ways to the traditional experience, except for one important detail: the women are not real.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]The World AI Creators Awards (WAICAS) has gathered 10 finalists in their quest to find “Miss AI,” the winner of a beauty pageant for women generated by artificial intelligence (AI). The finalists, chosen from 1,500 participants, come from teams of creators around the world. The creators utilize programs such as Open AI’s DALL·E 3, Midjourney or Stable Diffusion to generate images of the women from different text prompts.
These AI-generated women still follow stereotypical beauty standards, with thin bodies and young faces. Open AI has previously acknowledged that it finds “DALL-E 3 defaults to generating images of people that match stereotypical and conventional ideals of beauty.” Computer vision experts and the Algorithmic Justice League have also uncovered racial bias in facial analysis technology.
In an email to TIME, the WAICAS team addressed the concerns around perpetuating traditional beauty standards, saying they want to focus on “celebrating diversity and realism.”
“This isn’t about pushing unrealistic standards, but realistic creators that represent real people,” they said. “Traditional pageantry took decades to evolve and be more representative—whilst AI can do this in fast forward which is really exciting.
These contestants will be judged based on three criteria: beauty, tech, and clout. Clout can come in a number of ways, but most of the AI-generated women are online influencers.
The World AI Creator Awards (WAICA) Instagram page features 10 posts, introducing each of the AI-generated women to audiences. One contestant, Kenza Layli, is said to be “contributing to the empowerment of women in Morocco and the Middle East,” with her almost 200,000 followers. Another, Olivia C of Portugal, is introduced as a “traveler,” showcasing how technology can “enhance the human experience, not replace it.” Meanwhile, fellow AI-generated avatar Aiyana Rainbow’s profile includes iconography of the queer community, adorned with rainbows in many posts, and is an “embodiment of inclusivity and LGBTQIA+ acceptance.”
It can be easy to forget that these women are not real, as each has a detailed personality that’s described on their Instagram page. But everything has been AI-generated, from their interests and hobbies, to the sweep of their hair and the beaches they are laying on.
The contest will be judged, in part, by two humans: Andrew Bloch, a media advisor, and Sally-Ann Fawcett, beauty pageant historian and author. They will be joined by two AI-generated influencers, Aitana Lopez and Emily Pellegrini, to judge the artistry of each meticulously-curated AI contestant.
Per the pageant’s website, the overall contest winner will receive items including a $5,000 cash prize and public relations support worth over $5,000.
The winner will be announced on Monday, July 8, via an announcement video on the World AI Creator Awards social channels.
