Standford AI ad row: White student ‘race-swapped’

Stanford Residential & Dining Enterprises (SR&DE) is facing significant criticism over the use of artificial intelligence to allegedly alter the appearances of students in promotional materials. Campus photographer images were used for advertisements, but the AI process reportedly changed the students' races and genders. The New York Post reported that students were hosted for food in the cafeteria in the original photos.

One student expressed surprise at seeing himself replaced by a Black woman in the edited version. The student newspaper The Stanford Review obtained before-and-after photos to expose the changes. Billy Ramirez, a junior, said he was initially amused but later felt upset that his identity had been altered and he felt silenced. Two other students featured in the original photo also had their images changed, with their faces visibly slimmed in the final version.

SR&DE is responsible for managing housing and dining hall operations for Stanford University's over 18,000 students. The controversy surrounding the AI alterations has sparked outrage among affected students and the wider university community.