Stanford admits AI was used to swap gender, race of student image

( NewsNation ) — Stanford University has acknowledged its own policies were violated when a promotional image for its residential and dining offerings removed a male Hispanic student and replaced him with a Black female.

The AI-altered image was confirmed by the school after The Stanford Review first highlighted the two dining hall photos from Stanford Residential & Dining Enterprises.

Billy Ramirez, the primarily affected student, told the outlet he was initially amused before later becoming disappointed.

“At first, I found it hilarious that they had used AI to completely change our appearances, including my race and gender,” Ramirez told The Stanford Review .

“But after looking at the comparison, I was also upset because I don’t agree with Stanford making those choices about how we were represented,” Ramirez added.

The two other students pictured had their appearances slightly distorted, looking thinner than in the original image.

“Seeing my identity changed and being left out of the picture made me feel, in a way, silenced and erased from a representation that was supposed to include me,” Ramirez said.

In a statement to Fox News , Stanford acknowledged the alteration.

“We have reviewed the matter and confirmed that AI was used to alter the image in violation of university policy. Stanford’s AI policy is clear: The use of AI in producing or altering images of Stanford people, events, research, facilities, or achievements is strictly prohibited,” a spokesperson for the school said.

“Both the alteration and lack of disclosure in this case violate that policy. We are working with Residential and Dining Enterprises to provide additional training and ensure proper review of all materials,” they added.