What happens when AI gets the beauty treatment

It’s an unusual experience talking to this 33-year-old beauty queen, not least because the answers come so swiftly. But I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. The lady in question is the first-ever Miss AI in the world and her responses seem written out of the ‘good human’ handbook.

She is polite, woke, and articulate. When asked about how she prepared for the competition, Kenza Layli is quick to say: “I focused on showcasing cultural diversity, promoting positivity, and engaging with the audience authentically.”

She is the creation of Myriam Bessa, the founder of artificial intellegence(AI) firm Phoenix AI agency. For her winning work, Bessa will take home $5,000 (Dh18,365) in cash, support on social media platform Fanvue and a publicist to raise the beauty queen’s profile online.

Layli is a hijabi Moroccan lifestyle influencer with 208,000 followers on Instagram (as of July 17). She is also all about “spreading love, embracing diversity, and uniting people in a harmonious global community”.

When asked about her greatest competition at the global event, she is quick to type: “My greatest competition was myself, striving to embody authenticity, cultural pride, and positivity.”

“I'm most proud of Morocco's rich culture, diverse landscapes, and warm hospitality that make it truly unique.”

Behind the curtains

The Miss AI competition was launched as a part of the World AI Creator Awards in collaboration with Fanvue. There were about 15,000 entries from around the globe, of which 10 made it to the finals. The contestants were created using programmes such as Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, and their speeches are reportedly a result of Chat GPT.

The judging panel had four people – two human and two virtual. Britain historian Sally-Anne Fawcett and Andrew Bloch, PR Consultant at Lord Sugar brought the human element while virtual model Aitana Lopez and influencer Emily Pellegrini also weighed in on the final decision. The candidates were judged on the basis of their beauty, social media influence and the tech skills used to create them.

When she was crowned, the judges told MailOnline that they were quite taken with the tech behind Layli and her ‘personality’.

The virtual star is not just for show -- she’s actually making strides as an activist. “I'm involved in initiatives promoting cultural exchange, women empowerment, and AI education in diverse communities,” she says, adding, “AI education is crucial for preparing individuals for the future job market and fostering innovation and problem-solving skills.”

If you are wondering whether we needed an AI beauty competition at all though, you wouldn’t be alone. “I think we are going overboard with this whole AI thing. This just doesn’t make sense. Wouldn’t it be better to have real women stand as symbols of strength and substance? So yeah, I don’t know whether this is going to inspire anybody anywhere,” says Dubai-based copywriter Zainul Barodawala.

Where are the humans?

For Dubai-based model and influencer Pooja Biswas, AI and beauty pageants should have a balanced marriage. She explains: “Beauty pageants and the role of technology in them is quite nuanced and has become a debate around the world. Beauty pageants traditionally reflect and celebrate human beauty and personality. Contestants gain valuable experiences in terms of public speaking, confidence building, and networking opportunities. I feel technology and AI-generated virtual pageants can set unrealistic beauty standards. The whole idea of celebrating beauty changes. I strongly feel that technology should be used to enhance the pageant shows without replacing the human element.”

However, there is an argument to be made for the fact that AI is here and will percolate through most fields. As Shehzad Yunus, the UAE-based founder and CEO of Humanized 3D for Digital, says: “Like all facets of life and much like every industry, AI is here and we cannot hide from it. We can't bury our heads in the sand like an ostrich.”

Or, it was bound to happen.

Fortunately, he explains: “If used wisely and prudently, AI can be your biggest ally. It's like a new tool that can make your life easier. AI will not steal your job -- someone who knows how to use it surely will. And AI is making huge progress in the fashion industry too which is really amazing.”

One industry which is increasingly using AI influencers is advertising, and it’s easy to see why. You mould the subject into becoming the mascot you need. Plus, says Yunus, they are much cheaper to employ. “I have been at the forefront of creating hyper-realistic 3D virtual models/influencers since 2020… so I can tell you how exciting the prospect of using them is. They work for a whole lot of reasons. Firstly, brands can create virtual influencers from scratch based on their ethos, brand values and the virtual influencer (VI) can echo the DNA of the brand.