Reem is not the only AI influencer who stirred these feelings. Kenza is a “Moroccan-Muslim” AI influencer, but she is so light-skinned that if it weren’t for her outfit, you’d be forgiven for thinking she was European. She reminded me once again that it’s nearly impossible to meet beauty ideals for people of color, and that we are still being compared to a light-skinned, Westernized ideal. No wonder the global skin whitening market is expected to reach a value of $11.8 billion by 2026. As someone who has spent most of my life wishing to be white, this erasure of features of people of color in AI is deeply disturbing and reminds me of a problematic time I thought I had overcome. Sure, AI may be the future, but are we moving forward in terms of technology only to move backward in terms of ethics and diversity? In my opinion, these Westernized AI influencers of color represent a major step backward in the name of innovation, all in the guise of diversity that feels performative and like a check-the-box exercise.
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