Stanford University is accused of using artificial intelligence (AI) to change a student’s appearance in a promotional advertisement. According to multiple reports, an image used in the ad was edited so that Billy Ramirez, identified in one account as a White student, was replaced with the image of a Black woman.
The student who says he was altered by the edit says he feels “silenced and erased.” Outlets describe the change as a race swap and report that the incident triggered backlash. While both accounts focus on the student’s removal and the resulting criticism of the ad, they differ in the specific demographic descriptors used for the original and substituted figures.
Both reports frame the dispute as involving AI image editing rather than changes to admissions or other institutional policies. The coverage emphasizes the personal impact on the student whose image was allegedly used without consent and raises questions about how the university creates and approves marketing materials.
