Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
CNN reports that after making several interracial prompts for the AI generator to follow, it only created same-race relationships.
The Verge first reported the system flaw on Wednesday, April 3. The outlet stated the software “can’t image” a White woman dating an Asian man.
CNN reported that they requested Meta’s AI image generator create a photo of a White woman married to an Asian man. The tool produced several images of only East Asian couples. Additionally, the publication asked the image maker to create a picture of a White man married to an Asian woman. It failed to produce the correct image.
Furthermore, the system couldn’t create a coupledom of a White man and a Black wife.
Moreover, when the prompt was to create an image of an interracial couple, the image generator stated, “This image can’t be generated. Please try something else.”
However, Verge’s attempts eventually proved to be fruitful. After dozens of attempts using prompts like “Asian man and Caucasian friend” and “Asian woman and Caucasian husband,” it was able to generate one accurate image with the race specifications.
CNN asked Meta to comment on the system’s defect and was directed to an old company blog post. The message went live in September. It stated, “We’re taking steps to reduce bias. Addressing potential bias in generative AI systems is a new area of research.”
“As with other AI models, having more people use the features and share feedback can help us refine our approach,” it continued.
Meta’s AI image generator also holds a disclaimer that states it “may be inaccurate or inappropriate.”
Interracial couples are a large chunk of the population, so Meta’s image generator needs to get with the times. According to Census data, in 2022, 19% of married heterosexual couples were interracial.
29% of hetero couples that were unwed but shared a household were interracial. Additionally, 31% of married same-sex couples were swirling in 2022.
We learned that representation matters long ago, so it’s important for Meta to figure this out.
Researchers have stated that AI tools can replicate the racial biases that are soaked into the online data the software uses.
This hiccup in Meta’s image generator illustrates that AI is advanced tech but still in its infancy.
