Stanford R&DE Uses AI to Race Swap Students for Advertising
Recorded: Sept. 22, 2026, 3:09 p.m.
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Table of Contents Stanford Residential & Dining Enterprises recently used AI to change the races of the students it included in its advertisements. AI was also used to noticeably slim down and alter students’ faces.On his journey to campus, Stanford student Billy Ramirez ’27 was sent an image he recalled a Stanford photographer taking. Upon closer examination, he noticed that he had been removed from the photo and replaced by a AI-generated black woman.The Review spoke to Ramirez, who stated, “I was driving to school from my hometown when my friend sent me the images comparing the banner to the original photos, and I was immediately baffled. At first, I found it hilarious that they had used AI to completely change our appearances, including my race and gender. But after looking at the comparison, I was also upset because I don’t agree with Stanford making those choices about how we were represented. Seeing my identity changed and being left out of the picture made me feel, in a way, silenced and erased from a representation that was supposed to include me.”Not only were Ramirez’s race and gender changed, but the two students to Ramirez’s right were distorted, making them appear visibly thinner.While this incident is humorous and generated thousands of reactions on Fizz, it offers an unsurprising insight into Stanford's and its bureaucracy's persisting ideological and racial preferences.While Stanford R&DE likely believed they were subtle enough for no one to notice, fortunately, our vigilant Stanford student body cannot be fooled. The Review will continue to monitor future advertising and actions from Stanford R&DE as they learn how to use generative AI.Image pre-AI Image post-AI Latest Stanford Rowers Allege Years of Abuse by Coaches , June 5, 2026
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Stanford Residential & Dining Enterprises employed artificial intelligence in their advertisements to alter the races of the students featured, as well as to visibly slim down and modify students’ facial appearances. This practice was highlighted by an experience recounted by Stanford student Billy Ramirez, who noticed significant alterations in photographs he had seen. Upon comparing original images with the altered versions, Ramirez observed that he had been replaced in a photograph with an AI-generated Black woman, and the faces of other students to his right were distorted to appear visibly thinner. Ramirez expressed a strong reaction to this manipulation, noting that while the incident was initially perceived as humorous by some online communities, it ultimately caused distress. He stated that he was baffled and upset by Stanford’s choices regarding how the student body was represented, feeling silenced and erased from a representation that was intended to include him. The experience serves as an insight into the persistent ideological and racial preferences embedded within Stanford and its administrative structures, suggesting that the modifications were deliberately executed to reflect these underlying preferences, even if they were intended to be subtle. The incident demonstrates a disconnect between institutional representation and lived experience. Although the alterations may have been designed to be inconspicuous, the vigilant student body was able to detect the changes, revealing an underlying tension regarding identity and institutional power. This event prompts an examination of how generative artificial intelligence can be utilized by large organizations to manage and enforce specific demographic narratives within public-facing materials. Consequently, the article suggests that the use of generative AI by Stanford R&DE compels a closer look at the ethical implications of using technology to shape identity and representation within an academic setting, and a commitment to monitoring future actions of the organization concerning this technology. |