BS BULLETIN:
- Stanford University confirmed that its Residential & Dining Enterprises department used AI to alter real students in a promotional campus image.
- A Hispanic male student was removed and replaced with an AI-generated Black woman, while two other students had their appearances altered, including being made thinner.
- Stanford says the manipulation and failure to disclose it violated university AI policy, and the banners have been removed.
Stanford University apparently decided its actual student diversity needed a little artificial assistance.
The university is facing backlash after a promotional image featuring three real Stanford students was altered using generative AI — including replacing one Hispanic male student with an entirely AI-generated Black woman.
The original photograph was taken at a 2024 Lunar New Year dinner and showed Stanford student Billy Ramirez alongside two other students holding plates of food.
When the picture resurfaced on “Welcome Home” banners around campus, however, Ramirez was gone.
In his place was a Black woman who hadn’t been in the original photograph. The other two students remained, but AI had also altered their faces and made them appear thinner. Clothing and other details in the image were changed as well.
Ramirez told the Stanford Review he initially thought the transformation was funny.
Then he thought about what Stanford had actually done.
“Seeing my identity changed and being left out of the picture made me feel, in a way, silenced and erased from a representation that was supposed to include me,” Ramirez said.
Stanford has now confirmed the image was manipulated.
University public relations director Charlene Gage told the Stanford Daily that the alterations violated Stanford’s own rules governing artificial intelligence.
“Stanford’s AI policy is clear: The use of AI in producing or altering images of Stanford people, events, research, facilities, or achievements is strictly prohibited,” Gage said.
“Both the alteration and lack of disclosure in this case violate that policy. We are working to provide additional training for all staff and ensure proper review of all materials.”
The banners have since been taken down.
And there’s another twist.
Ramirez told the San Francisco Chronicle that replacing him with an artificial student didn’t accurately represent Stanford at all.
“It’s not as diverse as they make it out to be,” he said.
Stanford’s own student newspaper reported that Black and Hispanic representation declined in its undergraduate class of 2029 compared with the previous class.
So, rather than finding another actual student for the banner, somebody apparently found the AI button.
MY QUICK TAKE
This may be the most perfect DEI story imaginable.
A university wants to showcase diversity, looks at three actual diverse students and concludes: No, not diverse like that.
Then it erases a Hispanic kid, manufactures a Black woman who doesn’t exist and gives the remaining students an AI diet.
Diversity, equity and inclusion — now with an “undo” button.
DBS WIRE SOURCES
- The Stanford Daily — University confirms use of AI-edited photo amid controversy
- The Stanford Review — Stanford R&DE uses AI to race swap students for advertising
- San Francisco Chronicle — Stanford violated AI policy after altering student photo
- Inside Higher Ed — AI-edited Stanford ad violated university policy
- Twitchy — Stanford caught AI-altering ad photo
