Online Reporter
LONDON. — Miss England is controversial at the best of times, not least for its now-banned swimwear round.
Each year, models who make it to the semi-finals have to choose categories to compete in to secure a place in the final.
The choices include the Bare Face round, where contestants are judged on their looks without make-up, and the Talent round, in which they showcase a special skill.
Now, the pageant is causing a stir after introducing an AI round — in which contestants have to get as many bookings as they can for an AI-generated version of themselves.
Only three of the competition’s 32 semi-finalists have decided to enter. Many are unsure whether it would help or hinder their chances of winning a place in the final.
As part of the inaugural wildcard AI round, each model will work with a company to create their virtual, AI-generated avatar — and these will then be pitched to brands and agencies.
The model whose avatar secures the most commercial contracts will advance to the contest’s final round.
Jessica Pliskin, a 23-year-old physics masters graduate from the University of Bristol, was one of the three semi-finalists who chose the AI round.
She believes having an avatar will “help her progress” in the industry and she’s excited to watch its digital growth.
“The modelling industry is going to change, but I think that this is something that will help me,” she said.
“It will help me adapt to the industry, rather than trying to avoid it and then get lost.”
Many others in the industry do not share her optimism.
Model Harriet Webster said that the use of AI by models was dangerous and erased the real person.
Ms Webster, also a press officer for Mentor Model Agency in Sheffield, said: “These clones take away a model’s personality — I think there’s something quite scary about it.
“Instead of it [modelling] being an inclusive thing, it erases real people.”
She continued: “Creating AI models means there will be less [real] models in the industry — if people are making models through AI, why would they pay real people for work?
“You can see how they would choose it over a real person – it’s a very easy option.” — BBC
