Wouldn't it be great if more women worked in tech and AI? No, not really… Web3's Lauren Ingram takes a deep dive into what the Miss AI pageant says about the field. I am.
Beyond Miss World, there are robots. A new contest will feature bikini-clad virtual influencers competing for the Miss AI crown. Sorry, but are we living in a simulation?
Judges will rank these virtual women on their looks, social media influence and AI-powered skills behind these creations to win a share of a $20,000 (£16,000) prize pool. Masu.
Some of the judges are AI-generated. They probably don't wear pixelated bikinis properly enough. So far it's been dystopian.
The virtual influencer market is expected to reach $13.8 billion by 2025, and sure, building a brand like Lil Miquela can be fun. She has 2.6 million followers and earns a healthy income from her brand partnerships. Lil Miquela isn't known for her sassy image, but one look at her and you'll see that she's clearly computer-generated. She's not pretending to be a real woman. Of course, the idea of a robot entering into a paid partnership with a brand can be a bit daunting, but it's not harmless.
Things get blurry as AI-generated influencers look increasingly realistic, skimpy, and submissive. It's shocking and not at all surprising that many of these AI women are making money not only on their Instagram, but also on their OnlyFans, but the people who led the creation and monetization of these robot dolls I highly doubt that it is a woman who does this.
Pitting these AI women against each other is at least slightly disrespectful to women, and at worst completely outrageous and deserves a bucket of sick. Because of their too-realistic appearance, but having completely unattainable standards, women are given another reason to not be satisfied with themselves. In fact, I was struck by how terrified men were of Miss AI as well. Everyone is asking, “Is this the best thing technology can do?”
I started Women of Web3 a few years ago while unemployed with a newborn and learning about NFTs, AI, the Metaverse, and more in hopes of returning to my role in the big tech industry. And I realized that there was a surprising lack of women. In this technology niche. Nine out of ten of her Web3 startups have no women on their founding teams. And only 0.7% of the VC money flowing into AI startups is controlled by women.
So the existence of something like Miss AI makes the world of AI feel more hostile and unwelcoming to women. The reality is that we urgently need more women in this field. We need women at the table, sharing decisions, and playing a key role in building what's next for the internet.
We have made amazing advances in technology in this short period of time, so let's make the most of it. All the hype and fuss about generative AI is well-deserved. This presents a real opportunity, and those who don't jump on board the AI train risk being left behind.
But as always, the problem isn't the technology, it's the humans pushing the buttons. Miss AI is a stark reminder of the more hostile and objectified internet we could be heading towards. And we need to do everything in our power to avoid it.
