Stanford R&DE used AI to alter students' race and gender in ads
Stanford Residential & Dining Enterprises recently employed generative AI to modify the images used in its campus advertising. The technology replaced a photo of sophomore Billy Ramirez ’27 with an AI‑generated Black woman and slimmed the faces of two nearby students. Ramirez said a friend sent him the altered banner, and he was initially amused before feeling “silenced and erased” because his…
Key points
- Stanford R&DE used generative AI to replace a student’s photo with an AI‑generated Black woman and thin other faces.
- Student Billy Ramirez ’27 discovered the alteration and said it made him feel erased and upset.
- The incident generated thousands of reactions on Fizz and prompted the Review to monitor future ads.
The changes sparked thousands of reactions on the social platform Fizz, with many questioning the university’s motives and the ethical use of AI in marketing. The Review, which reported the incident, said it will keep watching Stanford R&DE’s future advertising to see whether similar alterations reappear.
Stanford R&DE Uses AI to Race Swap Students for Advertising
stanfordreview.org · 22 September 2026
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1source- Hacker News discussion · 47 pointsnews.ycombinator.com
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