Wouldn’t it be great to have more women working in technology and AI? No, not like that… Women of Web3’s Lauren Ingram looks at what the Miss AI pageant says about the industry.
Move over Miss World, the robots are here: there’s a new competition where virtual influencers in bikinis compete to be crowned Miss AI. Sorry, but are we living in a simulation?
Judges will rank these virtual women based on their looks, social media influence and the AI skills behind these creations in a bid to win a share of a $20,000 (£16,000) prize pool.
Even some judges are generated by AI. They probably won’t wear enough pixelated bikinis. So far, it’s so dystopian.
The virtual influencer market is expected to reach $13.8 billion by 2025, and yes, it can be a fun way to grow a brand, like Lil Miquela: she has 2.6 million followers and a healthy income from brand partnerships. Lil Miquela isn’t known for her naughty images, and looking at her, it’s clearly computer generated; she doesn’t pretend to be a real woman. There is, of course, something a little mind-blowing about a robot doing paid partnerships with brands, but it seems harmless.
Things fade as AI-generated influencers become increasingly realistic, scantily clad, and appear submissive. It’s both shocking and completely unsurprising that many of these AI women are making money on OnlyFans as well as Instagram – although I highly doubt it’s the women driving the creation and monetization of these robot dolls.
Pitting these AI women against each other is, at the very least, mildly disrespectful to women, or at worst, totally outrageous and sick bucket worthy. Because of their overly realistic appearance – but with completely unattainable standards – they give women another reason to not feel good about themselves. In fact, I was struck by how men were equally horrified by Miss AI. Everyone is asking: is this the best we can do with technology?
I started Women of Web3 a few years ago while unemployed with a newborn, learning about things like NFTs, AI and the metaverse to try to find a role again in the big technology – and I spotted an alarming lack of women. in this technological niche. Nine out of ten Web3 startups have no women on their founding teams. And women control just 0.7% of venture capital funding for AI startups.
So the existence of things like Miss AI makes the world of AI more hostile and unwelcoming to women – when in reality, we urgently need more women in this space. We need women at the table, sharing decisions and playing a key role in architecting the future of the Internet.
We’ve made incredible technological advances in such a short time, so let’s make the most of it. All the hype and bluster around generative AI is completely deserved: it truly presents a huge opportunity, and anyone who doesn’t jump on the AI bandwagon risks being left behind.
But as always, it’s not the technology that’s the problem: it’s the humans pushing the buttons. Miss AI is a stark reminder of a more hostile and objectifying Internet that we could be rushing towards – and we should do everything in our power to avoid it.
