On a typical Sunday, overwhelmed by real-world problems, I decided to dive into social networks. To avoid wasting time with doom-scrolling, I checked out the news on LinkedIn. And there it was. This beautiful woman in a dress against a sunset. I noticed the slightly sunken eyes and the collarbones that spiked through the dress. The model’s face and body captivated me so much that I swiped through the other pictures in this fashion editorial. Every image featured a fragile, almost ethereal, figure with dominant bones: collarbones, elbows, knees, and hip bones.
Instinctively, I touched my collarbones. Sure, they are visible, but they don’t look like what I saw. I felt a higher fat percentage under my fingers. The details of the fashion and landscape faded from memory, leaving only the imprint of that impossibly thin figure.
Is This Freedom in Artistry?
This is simply artistic freedom, right? No one critiques paintings of slim women, accusing them of setting harmful beauty standards. But here’s where things differ: With tools like MidJourney, artistry has become widely accessible, and the barriers to creation are significantly lower. Unlike traditional painters who spend years mastering their craft, anyone can generate stunning visuals with less effort. Copy-paste a prompt, tweak it through trial and error, and voila — you’ve created a gallery of AI-generated images circulating across the internet.
This democratisation of art is undoubtedly a positive development but also raises concerns. The hyper-slim figures I encountered reflect underlying biases that shape what we create and consume. And these biases can have real-world consequences.
The Ethical Dilemma of AI-Generated Beauty
For decades, fashion has been criticised for its narrow portrayal of beauty. While there’s been some progress in embracing diversity, the default “standard” still leans toward slimness. AI image generators replicate, if not exacerbate, this bias. And here lies the ethical dilemma: Should we consider these AI-generated visuals mere artistic expressions, or do they carry a social responsibility?
Art does not need to be universally liked, but when displayed on the canvas of the human body, it can shape perceptions of beauty. And the impacts aren’t just theoretical.
The Impact on Young Minds
The Children’s Society in the UK highlights the dangers of unrealistic beauty standards on children. AI-generated content often perpetuates these ideals, targeting younger audiences through games, social media, and advertisements. Children and teenagers are particularly impressionable, but let’s not underestimate adults either. The insecurity I felt, touching my collarbones, wasn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a testament to how deeply ingrained these standards are in us, regardless of age.
Parents can play a vital role in mitigating these effects by fostering self-confidence and encouraging open discussions about using AI Tools.
Bias in AI Models
The issue isn’t just with the outputs but with the inputs. AI models like MidJourney learn from vast datasets that often reflect societal biases. The generated images will skew similarly if these datasets overrepresent certain body types. Introducing measures like auditing datasets, employing bias-detection tools, and creating prompts encouraging diversity can help address this problem. As users, we must approach AI-generated content critically and hold creators accountable for perpetuating harmful norms.
The Halo Effect
There’s also a psychological phenomenon at play: the halo effect. When we repeatedly see hyper-slim figures associated with beauty, elegance, and success, we subconsciously internalise these associations. The fashion industry should actively promote a broader range of body types, not just as a token gesture but as a genuine reflection of diverse beauty standards.
To Be Sure…
I am not judging slim individuals at all. Some people have fast metabolisms; others face medical conditions, and everyone has their own story. My focus is on AI-generated images. As someone passionate about technology, I’m not here to criticise AI but to remind us that it’s a tool. Its power lies in how we choose to use it. The visuals we create reflect our standards and values. If we aim to foster diversity, we can truly create something transformative.
A Path Forward
Companies like Absolut use generative AI to create inclusive campaigns, showcasing diverse body types and challenging conventional norms. These examples highlight that it is possible to use AI ethically and responsibly to promote inclusive representations.
Circling Back
Reflecting on that LinkedIn post, I wonder: If the AI models I saw had embraced a softer figure, would I have remembered the dress instead of the bones? It may be time for me to stop pulling at my collarbones and start generating images.
Sources & Further Reading
Absolut combats AI bias in fashion with 10K diverse image prompts | Marketing Dive
Are AI-generated images perpetuating toxic beauty standards?
How Generative AI Could Perpetuate Fashion’s Biases
How Is AI Changing Our Ideas About Beauty? | Psychology Today
AI Confirms Our Unrealistic Body Ideals | Psychology Today
A Taxonomy of the Biases of the Images created by Generative Artificial Intelligence
What is Beautiful is Still Good: The Attractiveness Halo Effect in the era of Beauty Filters
Artificial Intelligence, body image and toxic expectations | The Children’s Society