UI/UX designer Elizabeth Lazarki has claimed that her image for a conference poster was altered by the event organizers, who used AI to add a bra to the photo. Lazarki, known for her contributions to platforms like Google Maps, Facebook, and YouTube, is set to speak at a UX and AI design conference later this year. After receiving the promotional poster, she noticed something unusual about her picture.
“I just saw an ad for the conference with my photo and thought, ‘wait, that doesn’t look right,’” Lazarki shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter). She compared the original image with the edited version and realized that her blouse had been altered to appear unbuttoned, with a hint of a bra added.
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Lazarki immediately reached out to the conference host, who apologized and explained that the social media manager had used AI to elongate the image to fit the layout. The AI mistakenly generated a lower part of the image, altering her outfit in the process. “AI invented the bottom part of the image… revealing a little hint of something underneath,” Lazarki explained.
I’m talking at a conference later this year (on UX+AI).
I just saw an ad for the conference with my photo and was like, wait, that doesn’t look right.
Is my bra showing in my profile pic and I’ve never noticed…? That’s weird.
I open my original photo.
No bra showing.I put… pic.twitter.com/CpoIgiXtUI
— Elizabeth Laraki (@elizlaraki) October 15, 2024
The incident, which has now garnered over 2 million views, has left social media users in shock. Many have highlighted the troubling ways AI can perpetuate gender stereotypes. One user remarked, “AI sexualises women’s images nearly every time, an interesting reflection of our culture.” Another pointed out that Lazarki’s personal experience with AI mishaps would undoubtedly make for an engaging topic at the upcoming conference.
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