74% Express Disapproval of AI-Modified Models Appearing White

A Taiwanese American model said a well-known fashion designer uploaded a digitally altered runway photo that made her appear white. The fashion designer asserted that a fan sent him the image and denied editing it.

The origin of the photo isn’t clear, but the model blames artificial intelligence for its creation. Real Research gathered the public’s opinion of runway photos being modified to make models appear white, and here is what they think.

Highlights:

• Using AI to modify a model’s appearance to make them appear white is unacceptable, said 74.62%.
• Using AI to change a model’s ethnicity doesn’t perpetuate racist stereotypes, as per 64.45%.
• 52.12% believe using AI in the fashion industry may lead to real economic and visible harm to models.

Using AI to Change a Model’s Ethnicity, Acceptable or Not?

A Taiwanese American model said a well-known fashion designer uploaded a digitally altered runway photo where her face has been changed and made to appear as if she is a white woman. 43.4% were fully aware of an incident, 32.97% were vaguely aware of it, and 23.62% weren’t familiar with it at all.

The origin of the altered photo isn’t known, but the model estimated that it might have been edited using artificial intelligence (AI). According to 35.5%, using AI to modify a model’s appearance to make them appear white is somewhat unacceptable. Interestingly, 32.53% claimed it was somewhat acceptable, 25.75% saw it as unacceptable, and 6.22% thought it was acceptable.

The issue of using AI to create a white appearance on a model’s face is an issue that’s slightly important to address, according to 41.5%. The remaining participants claimed it was not at all important (26.6%), moderately important (22.75%), and very important (9.15%).

Read Also: Public Preference on Fashion: Branded vs. Unbranded

Is Changing a Model’s Ethnicity “Racist”?

Moreover, the use of AI to change a model’s ethnicity doesn’t perpetuate racist stereotypes, as per 64.45%. In detail, 39.12% didn’t believe that using AI to change a model’s ethnicity may perpetuate racist stereotypes; 25.33% strongly disagreed; and 28.67% and 6.88% opposed and strongly opposed, respectively.

Sara Ziff, founder of the Model Alliance, said that they’ve heard from models who have walked into a store only to find that their image has been heavily manipulated. Interestingly,  43.05% didn’t believe it was at all important for models to have legal protections against the unauthorized alteration of their images. The rest of the participants claimed it was slightly important (25.82%), somewhat important (15.6%), and very important (15.53%).

AI to Show Diversity, But Not Human Models?

Clothing brand Levi’s reportedly announced the intent to use computer-generated models on the website to include a diverse range of ethnicities. Critics claimed that if brands truly wished to show diversity, they should hire human models.

Agreeing with this, around 52.12% stated that using AI in the fashion industry may lead to real economic and visible harm to models. 28.23% weren’t sure of AI’s implications, and 19.65% were opposed.

The model said, “I expected to be paid in exposure, but I didn’t get exposure because this is an edited photo.” Additionally, Erik Rosete, a fashion designer, said, “We’re all doing this for exposure, and to take that away from anybody is taking away their time and their dignity.”

In response to these statements, 47.72% believed that models should always be paid for their work, 32.53% didn’t have a clear opinion, and 19.75% thought the opposite.