Does Artificial Intelligence Make Us Insecure?

Perfectly imperfect. This is what we are, what we should accept and celebrate, embracing the movement for body neutrality and the idea that the body is not defined by its appearance but is simply what allows us to do things. Unfortunately, this is not always easy. Despite increased awareness about inclusivity, a conforming body always prevails, one that is socially accepted because it fits the standards set by the historical period and the country we live in. Thin privilege, pretty privilege, and Eurocentric aesthetics reign supreme, fueled by social and cultural pressure: plus and mid-size models on the runways are almost a mirage, the abuse of Ozempic as a slimming drug is spreading, the glamorization of illness continues, aging is not allowed, we never stopped worrying about the bikini body, and fatphobia and diet culture are more alive than ever. To complicate the problem, exacerbating the feeling of inadequacy and frustration, there is also artificial intelligence.

Dove says No to Artificial Intelligence

Technology advances, bringing both evolution and regression. Awaiting regulation, AI poses various problems such as pornographic deepfakes or the generation of images without consent, and it tends to promote an extremely sexualized, stereotyped female image, the offspring of the male gaze: a thin body, admitting curves only in certain places like the breasts or buttocks, perfect and Westernized features, and no imperfections. In short, it provides a completely unrealistic, toxic, and dangerous image of ourselves to chase. So what to do, if experts estimate that Artificial Intelligence will generate 90% of online content by 2025? Dove's response? Becoming the first beauty brand to commit to never using artificial intelligence to represent women in its advertising.

Does Artificial Intelligence Make Us Insecure?

Only 2% of women globally consider themselves beautiful. This revelation led to the creation of the Real Beauty campaign in 2004, which showed images of women of different ages, shapes, backgrounds, and sizes who were not professional models. Since then, the brand has worked tirelessly to broaden representation, support transparency and diversity, encourage women to embrace their authenticity, and raise awareness about the negative impacts of unrealistic beauty standards globally through media, the Dove Self-Esteem Project, and research. Twenty years after Real Beauty, the challenge to improve the self-esteem of women and girls continues and is renewed through The Code, the new campaign reflecting on artificial intelligence and how it creates and distorts the image of women.

A new concept of beauty, inclusive and diverse

The 2024 campaign represents the renewal of Dove's commitment to protecting true beauty at a time when new technologies are compromising the diverse and inclusive representation of women in the audiovisual and advertising environment. Remembering that AI does not imagine beauty as a human does, but is simply a reflection of how we talk about it, the brand reflects on the impact of this technology and perceptions of beauty, encouraging women to challenge social norms, media representations, and industry standards, to claim the power to define beauty on their own terms and thus to redefine the very meaning of being beautiful. To achieve these goals, in addition to The Code, Dove has published on its website the Real Beauty Prompt Playbook, a free guide designed to help create representative images of true beauty through the most popular AI programs.