When I first saw the article, I had to do a double take because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Here’s the story in a nutshell: An Asian model, Shereen Wu, walked in a fashion show last year as a last-minute replacement. After the show, the designer posted a picture on social media, replacing her face with an AI-generated image of a white woman.
What he did was wrong, but I might have been more understanding if the designer was simply ignorant. We don’t know what we don’t know. Everyone has different levels of common sense and morality. As long as someone acknowledges their mistakes and takes steps to correct them, we can move forward. But when the model brought the issue to the designer’s attention, he blamed everyone else and then responded by posting more AI-generated pictures, essentially saying, “That’s how the world rolls. Deal with it.” That attitude is not cool.
Many models walk for free, hoping for exposure. If her face is replaced, what does she gain from it? How can she build her portfolio? And what about the hairstylist and makeup artist who worked on her look? Has the designer ever considered how her mother felt—confused, hurt, and infuriated—when she saw her daughter’s identity erased in such a callous manner? Oh, I have so many questions!
This incident is a stark reminder that while technology can offer incredible advancements, it must be used responsibly. AI should enhance our world, not erase identities or undermine hard-earned efforts. My concern about AI has always been that people might become so enamored with the latest technology that they forget empathy. But this isn’t just about technology; it’s about something fundamentally wrong. It’s an identity crisis!
When I had a tooth implant years ago, my face got so swollen that nobody recognized me. I felt like I was losing myself. If you get a different face, are you still you? How can we tell it’s you? What makes you?