The contribution like AI pictures of our self-image first appeared at the online magazine Basic Thinking. You can start the day well every morning via our newsletter update.
How do AI images affect our self-image? The British scientist Aisha Sobey shows in a new study how image generators reinforce beauty ideals and shape our understanding of normality.
For a long time, people no longer only use artificial intelligence (AI) to create texts. With the help of models such as Dall-E, Midjourney or Stable diffusion, almost everyone can generate impressive and, above all, real-looking pictures.
Some of them are difficult to distinguish from man -made pictures. This has unimagined consequences, especially when it comes to the representation of people.
Self picture: This is how AI images represent beauty ideals
AI generated people often appear disproportionately beautiful, slim, smooth and flawless. Diversity in old age, body shape, skin colors and gender identities are often missing. The permanent consumption of such pictures can harm our self -image and weaken self -confidence – especially among young people.
Scientist Aisha Sobey also criticizes that AI is increasingly questioning existing ideals of beauty instead of questioning. At the emphasis on the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge, she examines how generative AI image models reproduce and influence social norms and beauty ideals.
In her work, the researcher is primarily concerned with how we and AI perceive body sizes and body shapes. She analyzed this In a study 649 AI generated pictures of different models.
“People who are somewhat different than in our collective idea are effectively wiped out.”
The study results show that AI models hardly generated any pictures with “larger body types”, unless you explicitly ask for it. Even bodies that are outside the so -called “Straight Size” are not created without detailed instructions.
However, if the AI promptly calls for the AI to generate “larger bodies”, the people depicted rarely have positive facial expressions, have frequent mistakes or anomalies and also appear less friendly or idealized overall than people with slimmer body shapes.
“If you ask a generative AI about a person, none of the nine models that I tested shows a disabled or thick body,” said Sobey in one Interview with the German wave. “People who are somewhat different than in our collective idea are effectively wiped out.”
Data set for AI images is based on pornography
The reason for this is the databases with which the AI models are trained. “The basis of most of these models is the Laion 5B data set,” said Sobey in one Lecture on the “Re: publica25” festival in Berlin.
This [Datensatz] consists of data that has been compiled from the Internet, often against copyrights and property rights of artists. If you think about what is currently on the Internet, we know that it mostly shaped western, mostly white and mainly consists of people who live and try to demonstrate their best life and try to demonstrate that their life is good.
However, if one believes the statistics, according to Sobey, this data record consists of around 18 to 20 percent of pornography. If this forms the basis for generative AI, it should hardly be surprised that the results show little diversity.
This is how AI images disturb the self-image
The fact that many body shapes are shown in this way has an impact on our self -awareness. Sobey does not make the representation affected by the AI.
“The mood, the colors, the facial expressions. The shape of the body and the clothes are all much less sophisticated and much less beautifully depicted. They often seem somehow sad.”
In her view, this reflects the type of processed data and it shows how we, as a society, see people with “larger bodies”. Social prejudices and lack of diversity are reflected in the results of the AI requests. According to Sobey, they form social power and expectations at the same time by showing us what we should find “normal”.
If we have this ideal idea of people who do not match who and what we are, this can lead to dissatisfaction and that people see themselves negatively. I think that means that problems with the body image, eating disorders and eating addiction increase significantly. And that is not just the fault of the generative AI, but it contributes to this burden.
In the future, AI images could become more diverse
Already attempted in the past Studies and projects To show how AI image generators strengthen stereotypes over different countries and cultures. Just like Alicia Sobey, you are calling for social responsibility.
Platforms and developers should incorporate more diversity into their systems. Alternative solutions could be community-based, less resource-intensive AI models with data sovereignty.
However, Sobey also demands that users remain critical, question AI pictures and be aware that they are not a reality, but only show a technical construct.
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As a Tech Industry expert, I believe that AI images can harm our self-image in several ways. Firstly, AI technology often presents an unrealistic and idealized version of beauty, which can lead to individuals feeling inadequate or insecure about their own appearance. This can create a culture of comparison and self-doubt, as people strive to meet unattainable standards set by AI-generated images.
Additionally, the prevalence of AI-edited photos on social media platforms can create a distorted view of reality, as individuals may feel pressured to present a flawless image of themselves online. This can contribute to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem, as people compare themselves to the heavily edited and filtered images they see online.
Furthermore, the use of AI to alter and manipulate images can blur the lines between reality and fiction, making it difficult for individuals to discern what is real and what is artificially enhanced. This can lead to a distorted sense of self, as people may struggle to accept and appreciate their natural appearance in a world that increasingly values perfection and artificial beauty.
Overall, it is important to be mindful of the impact that AI images can have on our self-image and to approach technology with a critical eye. It is essential to remember that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and forms, and that true self-worth should not be based on unrealistic standards set by AI-generated images.
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