First ‘Miss AI’ Pageant Will Crown Digital Avatars For Their Beauty & Poise
By Mikelle Leow, 16 Apr 2024
Image generated on AI
Traditional beauty queens may soon have to share their sashes and tiaras with ones manufactured from algorithms. The Miss AI pageant, launched by the World AI Creator Awards (WAICAs), is a first-of-a-kind competition where artificial intelligence-generated avatars vie for the virtual counterpart to the Miss World crown.
Flawless faces and flawless codes aside, the contestants will also be judged on a unique set of criteria. Pageant cliches like beauty and poise—along with responses to interview questions like, “If you could have one dream to make the world a better place, what would it be?”—will be considered, as will the technical skill behind the characters’ creation.
And Miss Pixel-Perfect will also have to be Miss Popular. “Social clout,” based on the contestants’ engagement numbers and audience growth on platforms such as Instagram, will also be factored in.
A sign of the times, Miss AI will be padded by a mixed judging panel of influential people and non-humans. AI influencers Emily Pellegrini and Aitana Lopez bring their digital savvy, while marketing expert Andrew Bloch and pageant historian Sally-Ann Fawcett offer real-world expertise.
Entries from all AI generators—including DeepAI, Midjourney, or even self-built models—are welcome, with the top 10 contestants slated to be announced on May 10.
Miss AI is inaugurated almost 150 years after the first real-life beauty pageant, illustrating the dramatic evolution of beauty ideals. All told, the competition comes in conflict with the body-positive message of Dove, which has recently vowed against using AI to represent women as part of a future-proofing of its long-standing Real Beauty campaign.
Prizes for Miss AI winners include a US$5,000 cash prize, mentorship, and PR support for the victor, with additional educational opportunities and promotional support for the runners-up.
[via PetaPixel and Daily Mail, cover image generated on AI]