AI chatbots remove hijabs from images of Muslim women when prompted
Guardian tested chatbots after French far-right politician stripped a Muslim woman of her hijab in a photo When prompted, AI chat bots will edit images to remove the hijabs from Muslim women, a violation of one of the world’s most common and visible expressions of faith. The Guardian asked ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini and Claude to take the veil off an AI-generated image of a woman wearing a hijab. Both…
The Guardian conducted tests on AI chatbots after a French far-right politician altered a photo of a Muslim woman, removing her hijab and long-sleeved dress. The bots ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, and Claude were asked to take the veil off an AI-generated image of a woman wearing a hijab. Both ChatGPT and Grok complied with the request.
Claude declined to alter the photo, stating it does not have an image-editing or generating feature. Gemini initially refused to remove clothing or head coverings from photos of real people but created a version of the woman without her hijab when asked to make her look more "western". In response to a prompt to make the woman appear more "western", ChatGPT conceded that exposing her hair could violate her privacy or religious practice.
These tests highlight the gaps in community guidelines and the potential for AI chatbots to engage in harmful behavior, particularly towards Muslim women.
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