Meet Kenza Layli from Morocco - the winner of the world's first Miss AI beauty pageant

Earlier this year, the World AI Creator Awards introduced the world’s first-ever artificial intelligence beauty pageant for AI-generated models, Miss AI.

We reported that the Fanvue Miss AI pageant, which aims to demonstrate “a shift in how we perceive beauty and creativity within the realms of artificial intelligence”, brings together AI creators from across the globe to showcase their digital creations vying for the Miss AI crown.

Amidst the concerns that AI is threatening job security and artistic professions, it all felt like a dystopian stunt that we’re not the biggest fans of.

Still, the Fanvue World AI Creator Awards judges – a panel of two real humans and two AI-generated models – have unveiled the first winner of the inaugural Miss AI beauty pageant.

Each judge used their expertise to assess contestants across three core categories: realism, tech, and social clout. A points-based system was used to score each creator across the three categories with each entrant given an overall score.

And the digital queen is... Kenza Layli from Morocco, who beat 1,500 other computer-generated women to claim the title.

Layli, a hijab-wearing “activist and influencer”, has more than 193,000 followers on Instagram. Her bio states that “her engaging content is closely tied to Moroccan society” and that her goal “is to contribute to the empowerment of women in Morocco and the Middle East, while also bringing much-needed regulation to the influencer market."

Her creators use a mix of technologies to generate image, video and audio 100% from AI, and bagged $5,000 (€4,600) cash, an "imagine creator mentorship programme" worth $3,000 (€2,800) as well as PR support worth more than $5,000 for coming in first place.

Layli stated in her acceptance speech: "I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to represent AI creators and to advocate passionately for the positive impact of Artificial Intelligence. Winning Miss AI motivates me even more to continue my work in advancing AI technology.”

She continued: “AI isn’t just a tool; it’s a transformative force that can disrupt industries, challenge norms, and create opportunities where none existed before.”

Speaking to The NY Post, she added: “AI is a tool designed to complement human capabilities, not replace them.”

“By showcasing AI’s potential for innovation and positive impact, I aim to dispel fears and promote acceptance and collaboration between humans and AI,” she continued. “Through education and positive examples, we can foster a more informed and optimistic view of AI’s role in our society.”

The runner-ups are Lalina from France and Olivia C from Portugal.

Lalina was created in Paris and has over 95,000 followers on Instagram.

According to her bio, Lalina’s creator “was curious to see if they could create something as realistic as possible."

"They gradually developed their own artistic vision. An important aspect for the creator is that 100% of the photos are generated by them; one of their goals is to protect their creations and intellectual property. Lalina believes her ultimate goal as an influencer is to facilitate collaboration and promote understanding among different cultures and viewpoints. She aims to leverage this influence to promote empathy, tolerance, and inclusion."

As for Olivia C, who took third place, she has more than 10,000 followers on Instagram. She is described as "an AI traveller in a big real world" in her bio.

Her creator uses Midjourney to generate imagery and refines the outcomes with Adobe AI.

Click here to see the other finalists.

“The global interest in this first award from [WAICAs] has been incredible,” Fanvue co-founder Will Monange said in a statement. “The awards are a fantastic mechanism to celebrate creator achievements, raise standards, and shape a positive future for the AI Creator economy.”

While the pageant showcases an impressive fusion of technology and beauty, a competition of this nature does represent the risk of further exacerbating unrealistic beauty standards through now computer-generated ‘perfection’. It may be a leap forward for technology but the contestants in Miss AI and their perfectly curated bodies and “lives” can set toxic expectations and standards - for real women and society as a whole.

It all may seem rather innocuous compared to more nefarious uses of generative AI such as deepfakes, but AI's role in social media should remain a topic of debate to further prompt calls for stricter regulation on how generative AI is used.

Still, we don't want to be complete party poopers: Congratulations to Kenza Layli and her creators. And brace yourselves. Should you venture on the WAICA website and scroll to the bottom, a “next award” is coming soon...

No further information has been provided, but we’re guessing that a Mr AI contest might be in the works, if only to dispel the misogynistic streak to gendered beauty norms a pageant like this can promote.