Moroccan AI Model Kenza Layli Wins first Miss AI Competition

A hijab-wearing Moroccan digital influencer, Kenza Layli, has been crowned the world's first-ever Miss AI, triumphing over 1,500 other AI-generated models. The AI pageant award package includes $5,000 cash, artificial intelligence mentorship programs and personal publicist services, totaling over $13,000 in prizes for first place.

Organizers and global participation 

Fanvue hosted the groundbreaking pageant in cooperation with the World AI Creator Awards (WAICA). The event invited artificial intelligence visionaries from across the globe to showcase their prowess, and included participants from Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas.

The contestants were assessed on their:  

• Beauty, poise and uniqueness
• Social media presence
• Use of AI tools in their creation

Top winners and developers behind Miss AI

A panel of judges compared the top 10 artificial intelligence model entries and selected their top three, with first place being awarded to Morocco's Kenza Layli. The second and third place spots were claimed by France's Lalina Valina, Portugal's Olivia C. 

Meriam Bessa of the media agency L'Atelier Digital is the mastermind behind Kenza. The developers used AI tools and programs like DALL.E, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion to generate images using different customized prompts. 

What were the judges' impressions? 

Sofia Novales, part of Judge Aitana Lopez’s management team, praised Layli for her high-quality facial features and consistent appearance, including her eyes, clothes and hands, across various social media platforms. Prior to her victory, she already had over 130,000 followers on Instagram, thanks to her unwaveringly engaging videos, multilingual skills, collaborations with Hyundai and Bioderma and real-time interactions with fans. These aspects showcase her skillful design and versatility using groundbreaking technology. 

Celebration of victory and influence on industry 

Kenza celebrated her win through an AI-generated speech, advocating for optimism regarding AI's impact and expressing pride in Morocco for empowering women and amplifying their voices in the technology industry. 

The award has revolutionized prestigious brand partnerships with digital model developers, setting new industry standards and offering cost-effective promotional options.  

Considerations and ethical challenges 

• AI-generated personas raise concerns regarding the manipulation of public perception and engagement, as well as the value and authenticity of artificial intelligence systems. 
• Unrealistic beauty standards trigger another concern related to ethics, leading to demand for physically unattainable standards and perpetuating existing stereotypes and biases. 
• AI models enhance the possibilities but cannot replace human creativity. 

Expert opinions

The increase of unrealistic beauty standards and societal expectations due to the manipulation of images on social media has been spotlighted by Dr. Jennifer Levine, a top facial plastic surgeon. Awards such as WAICA need to be mindful of societal pressures and do their best to not perpetuate these further through the use of AI models.

Dr. Steven Williams, president and reconstructive surgeon of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) emphasized the role of social media in leveraging advertisements and algorithms to promote the digital model.