The comparison between the original and altered versions spread across Fizz, a popular social media platform for college campuses that launched at Stanford in 2024. As the Stanford Review reports, the altered version appeared on a "Welcome Home" banner at the university, with a Black woman, whom the paper says was, inserted in Ramirez's place.
Stanford confirmed the alteration violated its AI policy that bans producing or altering images of Stanford people or events and said it will provide training and review materials for Residential and Dining Enterprises.
The incident adds to broader scrutiny of university marketing, diversity representations, and federal inquiries touching Stanford programs and practices.
As the Stanford Review reports, the altered version appeared on a "Welcome Home" banner at the university, with a Black woman, whom the paper says was, inserted in Ramirez's place. The other two students' features, an Asian woman and a Latino man, were also noticeably altered or "Al-yassified," as Ramirez later called it on social media. Students quickly recognized that the image had been manipulated, which Ramirez shared on social media.
"At first, I found it hilarious that they had used AI to completely change our appearances, including my race and gender," Ramirez said, speaking to the Review. The incident comes as colleges and universities are facing increased scrutiny over diversity-related programs and marketing, including amid actions by the Trump administration targeting some university practices. Stanford has also been the subject of federal inquiries involving its medical school admissions practices and a teacher training program.
An additional 4,431 students were international students. Per the Times, a 2013 study in the Journal of Marketing for Higher Education found that college recruitment materials often featured a higher proportion of Black students than were actually enrolled at the schools studied, while Hispanic students were underrepresented. Check your inbox to confirm your subscription.
Stanford University acknowledged this week that it used artificial intelligence to alter a promotional photo, swapping out a Latino student for an AI-generated Black woman and slimming down two of his classmates.
The university removed the altered photo after students said changes to their identities and ethnic features left them feeling misrepresented.
Two other students pictured in the modified photo issued a statement confirming one of them filed a formal discrimination claim with the university — they called for an apology, an investigation and a ban on AI-generated student photos
Stanford University used AI to replace student Billy Ramirez with an image of a Black woman in an advertisement, sparking backlash.
Stanford University is facing criticism after using artificial intelligence to alter a photo of three students in an advertisement.
SF is suing Trump’s media company, alleging it gave paid subscribers an unfair advantage; a 72-year-old woman who died after being arrested by Brentwood police last year died of a stroke; and a nude Giants player was shown in the background of a social media video.
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