Models created using generative AI are competing in the inaugural “Miss AI” pageant.
The competition’s contestants exist only online (primarily on Instagram) in the form of photorealistic images created using a combination of proprietary and off-the-shelf AI technology. A few characters have also been animated, talking and moving around in videos, sharing their “thoughts” through accompanying text on social media posts.
For example, one video features Kenza Layli, who was created by a team from Morocco and speaks Arabic.
“I am proud to receive this nomination after only existing for five months, especially since this invention is Arab and Moroccan 100%,” the AI model said.
The company behind the event is the UK-based creator platform FanVue, and the competition offers a cash prize of $5,000 to the winner. The winner and top two runners-up will also receive public relations and mentorship perks.
The first contest for AI content creators in the “The FanVue World AI Creator Awards” series, a panel of four judges has selected 10 finalists from 1,500 submissions. The organizers are advertising it as the first such competition involving AI.
“What the awards have done is uncover creators none of us were aware of,” said FanVue co-founder Will Monange in the statement. “And that’s the beauty of the AI creator space: It’s enabling creative people to enter the creator economy with their AI-generated creations without having to be the face themselves.”
Similar to real-life pageants, the Miss AI contestants’ social media feeds talk about the charitable causes that each character supports. For example, the French avatar Anne Kerdi is a brand ambassador for the ocean conservation fund Océanopolis Acts.
In addition to being judged on looks and messaging, the AI characters are also judged on the skill with which the AI creators employ AI technology to make their models appear hyper-realistic. Though they are recognized as AI and not human influencers, the competition raises awareness of AI influencers and their ability to connect with human audiences.
