How Africa News
While artificial intelligence (AI) generators provide fascinating photographs for your social media feed, how are they harming society in general?
With the current influx of AI-generated versions of users’ images via programs like Lensa AI, some are pointing out what this implies for the world as a whole (and, from the looks of it, white men’s pockets continue to grow as a result).
Meet Shudu
According to The Outlet, Shudu is the first AI model, and she’s been booked and busy.
“Within the first two years of her career, she was featured in Vogue, Hypebeast, V Magazine, and WWD, fronted campaigns for Balmain and Ellesse, graced the red carpet at BAFTA 2019 awards wearing a bespoke gown by Swarovski, released her own record and was named one of the most influential people on the internet by Time,” The Outlet reports.
While Shudu is scheduled and busy as a “Black woman,” there is no Black woman or Black guy earning the monies behind the digital supermodel.
“Are you familiar with Shudu?” I recently discovered that she is the first AI model. She’s been ‘hired’ across the industry, which means her creators are white males, not Black women. And businesses may claim to have run Black content without having to collaborate with or recruit Black people,” one Twitter user pointed out.
Remember FN Meka?
A similar case of AI-generated figures sparking a social media outcry occurred earlier this summer when FN Meka was signed. He was eventually dropped by Capitol Records after demonstrating what many saw as stereotypical Black conduct — all under the direction of white people.
