AI Used To Change Student’s Race, Gender In Marketing Image At Bay Area College: Report

STANFORD, CA — Stanford Residential and Dining Enterprise used artificial intelligence to alter a student’s race and gender in a marketing image, while also making two other students in the photo appear thinner, according to the university and the Stanford Review.

The original photo showed three students in what appeared to be a Stanford dining hall. It was previously posted on Stanford Dining’s Instagram account but has since been deleted.

Stanford student Billy Ramirez, ’27, told the Stanford Review he recognized the photo after receiving an image on his way to campus. He noticed that he had been removed and replaced with an AI-generated Black woman.

Ramirez said the alteration also changed his gender and that the two other students in the image appeared noticeably thinner.

“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 told the Stanford Review.

Stanford Residential and Dining Enterprises, the university department responsible for food and housing, used AI to make the changes, a Stanford spokesperson told KRON4.

Charlene Gage, Stanford's public relations director, said the university reviewed the incident and determined that the image violated its policy.

“We have reviewed the matter and confirmed that AI was used to alter the image in violation of university policy,” Gage told the news outlet.

Stanford's policy prohibits the use of AI to produce or alter images of Stanford people, events, research, facilities or achievements, according to the university.

Gage said both the alteration and the lack of disclosure violated the policy that they are working to provide additional training and ensure proper review of all materials.

Read the full story at the Stanford Review.