Dear Organizers of the Fanvue World AI Creator Awards,

We are the founders, country ambassadors, and allies representing Women in Immersive Technologies Europe, a community dedicated to promoting and supporting women in immersive technology, spatial computing, and creative tech. We are writing to express our deep concerns regarding the Fanvue Miss AI pageant—as people working in technology, women, mothers, innovators, and individuals who want to see a bright future for women in tech.

We are appalled by your decision to create an initiative such as the Fanvue Miss AI pageant. We have worked so hard to bring respect to women within and outside of the tech industry by not only empowering females of every shape, form, and talent but also stopping the reinforcement of unrealistic beauty standards and the potential negative impact on mental health and self-esteem, particularly for young girls and women, using technologies such as AI. We have seen firsthand the negative effects of objectification, standardization of beauty (physical or computer-generated), and dehumanization of women, and this AI-driven pageant seems to take these issues to a new, even more troubling level.

First, individuals of all genders in the tech industry are already struggling to create an unbiased, diverse, and meaningful use of technology as things currently are. By creating an AI-driven beauty contest that clearly reinforces these biases and emphasizes portraying a stereotyped and standardized representation of women using technologies we're desperately trying to bring equality to, you're not only exacerbating this imbalance, but you're also pushing back everyone currently fighting for this cause. This group involves everyone who advocates for a meaningful and fair development of new technologies.

Second, outside of AI, social media have already taught us how damaging it can be (with or without disclaimers of altered images) to aim at standardizing how a woman should look, act, and be accepted in a society that's already demanding women to be everything to everybody only to have a chance to exist as they are. By creating an AI-driven beauty contest of this nature, where unattainable and unrealistic beauty standards are set again, you undermine the emphasis on the genuine skills and talents of anyone who considers themselves a woman. This action perpetuates a misogynistic view of beauty norms and a lack of fairness and inclusivity, reducing women to mere sexualized digital representations optimized for temporary popularity rather than substance.

Third, your disturbing and harmful practices are introducing new layers of complexity and concern to an already immensely complex and severe issue, which is the self-esteem and self-value of young women everywhere. We have witnessed first-hand the damage that these distorted beauty norms can cause in young girls exposed to these images, as well as how it affects women’s decisions to go into technological careers due to overwhelming misogynistic practices such as this one. The use of AI in such a context makes all the awareness and healing we have done throughout all these years take a turn for the worse, not only from female empowerment in the tech industry but also in the understanding of beauty and worth for women everywhere.

Finally, while it may seem innovative to include AI models as judges, this practice makes it harder for audiences to discern authentic human decisions from manufactured ones, not to mention the lack of responsibility for the actions of these computer-generated characters, leaving undesired behavior or discrimination without any human responsible for assuming the consequences of these actions. This kind of initiative dehumanizes questionable behaviors and also increases the possibility of more individuals and companies detaching themselves from the ethical and respectful treatment of humans.

Some might argue that the Fanvue Miss AI pageant celebrates technological advancement and creativity and that any creator can choose their own style or art without limitations. However, celebrating technology should not come at the expense of reinforcing harmful stereotypes and biases to gain viewers' attention or profit from a serious and pressing issue. It is possible to innovate responsibly and ethically without perpetuating outdated and damaging beauty standards. We failed to see your effort in doing so.

Additionally, the claim that this pageant could become "the Oscars of the AI creator economy" overlooks the deeper implications of this initiative. Awards in technology should prioritize contributions that advance equality, inclusivity, and positive societal impact (as much as technological skills and innovation), not those that trivialize or undermine human values.

We urge you to reconsider your decision and the impact of the Fanvue Miss AI pageant. We encourage you to use the opportunity you've been given through this platform to promote positive, inclusive, and ethical uses of AI rather than negatively affecting how young people perceive themselves and their worth in the digital age. There are many ways to celebrate the advancement of technology. Let's choose one that empowers all individuals and celebrates diversity in every shape and form.

We encourage you to engage in meaningful dialogue with communities and experts dedicated to the ethical use of creative technologies and women's empowerment in technical fields. Together, we can work towards creating projects that benefit society as a whole while showcasing the extraordinary accomplishments of innovation in technology.

We look forward to your response and hope to see a commitment to reconsider your actions.

Sincerely,