World's second best university admits using AI to change students' race, gender in promotional image

"We have reviewed the matter and confirmed that AI was used to alter the image in violation of university policy," Stanford said in an email to Fox News on Wednesday, two days after student-run publication The Stanford Review first reported the alterations.

"Stanford's AI policy is clear: The use of AI in producing or altering images of Stanford people, events, research, facilities, or achievements is strictly prohibited," a university spokesperson said. "Both the alteration and lack of disclosure in this case violate that policy. We are working with Residential and Dining Enterprises to provide additional training and ensure proper review of all materials."

The incident came to light after The Stanford Review published the original photograph alongside an altered version used by Stanford Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE), which oversees housing and dining services at the university.

The original dining-hall photo showed three students holding plates of food: an Asian woman, a white man and Hispanic student Billy Ramirez. In the altered version, Ramirez had been removed and replaced by an AI-generated Black woman. The other two students' appearances were also altered, with their faces made noticeably thinner.

Students at Stanford University at a football game. Photo courtesy of Stanford

Ramirez, a member of Stanford's class of 2027, learned about the changes after a friend sent him images comparing the promotional banner with the original photograph.

"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," he told The Stanford Review.

"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."

The altered image drew thousands of reactions on Fizz, an anonymous social media app popular among college students, with many Stanford students criticizing the changes.

"Students should be able to trust that their images are used accurately and respectfully," Associated Students of Stanford University President Jared Hammerstrom wrote to The Stanford Daily. "We support the students affected and take their concerns seriously. I hope this leads to clearer practices around the use of AI going forward."

Ramirez also called on Stanford to publicly address the incident and said it should prompt the university to reconsider how it represents its student body.

Stanford shares second place with U.K.'s Imperial College London in the QS World University Rankings 2027, behind the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.