WTF?! In news that will likely elicit the use of the Professor Farnsworth "I don't want to live on this planet anymore" meme, this month will see the inaugural "Miss AI" beauty pageant take place. Judges – two human and two virtual models – will choose an AI-generated model in a competition that will be handing out thousands of dollars in prizes.
Produced by the UK-based creator subscription platform Fanvue alongside the World AI Creator Awards (WAICA), the Miss AI competition is offering prizes totalling over $20,000. The winner receives a $5,000 cash prize, along with AI mentorship programs and PR services worth $7,000.
The photorealistic entrants have been generated using "off-the-shelf and proprietary" AI tools. The models have Instagram profiles where they show off their artificial lives and homes, post updates, and even interact with fans.
The four judges, only two of whom are real, will be rating the models based on their beauty, the way the technology was used to create them, and their "social clout," which is an assessment based on their engagement numbers with fans, audience growth, and utilization of platforms such as Instagram.
One of the contestants, a Brazilian-made AI called Ailya Lou, has almost 11,000 Instagram followers. There are some fairly realistic video clips on her profile, though they still have the uncanny valley effect that make them obvious AI creations.
Much like the real Miss World, the AI contestants support good causes, using social media feeds to talk about them. NPR notes that Anne Kerdi is a brand ambassador for the ocean conservation fund Océanopolis Acts, and Romania's Aiyana Rainbow (below) is described as an LGBTQ advocate.
The judges have selected ten finalists from 1,500 submissions. The Miss AI results will be announced at the end of June.
The popularity of beauty pageants has been declining over the last couple of decades as social values change. The organizers say the AI competition is a "monumental leap forward," but many argue this competition is even worse than traditional events, given the exaggerated, unrealistic, and fake young women that are on show.
So-called AI influencers can earn big money. One of the judges of the event, Aitana Lopez, aka "Spain's first AI model," can earn up to €10,000 ($10,800) a month doing modeling work for brands. Lopez's creator, an AI modeling agency called The Clueless, hopes that more brands will start using AI models rather than real people to advertise their products. The appeal to companies seems obvious: an unageing model who isn't going to cause any controversy. Could this be yet another area where AI takes human jobs?