Style, beauty and grace may be decisive in most beauty pageants, but the winner of the first beauty pageant using artificial intelligence needed much more than just good looks.
Kenza Laylie, a Moroccan computer-generated influencer, has become the winner of the Fanvue World AI Creator Awards.
The team behind Kenza beat out 1,500 other computer-generated women to claim the $13,000 prize.
Judges told MailOnline they were impressed by the advanced technology behind the AI star, as well as his compelling “personality”.
Accepting the award, Kenza creator said, “Winning Miss AI further motivates me to continue my work in advancing AI technology.”
The Fanvue World AI Creator Awards was launched with the aim of creating the first beauty pageant for the “AI influencer industry.”
Contestants were judged on their realistic appearance and technological prowess, as well as their social media influence.
In second place was an AI named Lalina, whose Instagram claims to offer “elegant vibes with a hint of seduction” to her 93,000 followers.
In third place was Portugal’s Olivia C, an AI-powered travel influencer whose computer-generated videos often feature the model in various locations around the world.
Finalists will receive a portion of the remaining $20,000 prize pool for their efforts.
The winner of the world’s first beauty pageant based on artificial intelligence is Kenza Layli, a Moroccan influencer whose creators want to defend the empowerment of women
While the other contestants impressed, Kenza stood out from the rest of the crowd thanks to her exceptionally advanced artificial intelligence and impressive 190,000 Instagram followers.
Kenza’s advanced technology allows the AI to appear in a variety of slightly disconcerting videos, speaking in seven different languages and even responding to fans in real time.
To celebrate her win, Kenza’s creator released an AI-generated acceptance speech video.
Aside from the odd voice and out-of-sync lips, the speech could have been delivered by any kind pageant winner taking the time to thank their judges and fellow competitors.
Kenza says: ‘I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to thank the creators of AI and passionately advocate for the positive impact of artificial intelligence.
In second place was an AI named Lalina, whose Instagram claims to offer “elegant vibes with a touch of seduction” to her 93,000 followers.
‘This journey has been a testament to the power of innovation, collaboration and raising standards to shape our future.’
The AI concluded with a pledge to “continue my mission to empower women around the world, including those in Morocco and the Arab world, and amplify their voices in the tech industry.”
Will Monange, co-founder of Fanvue, said: “A huge congratulations to Kenza and all the other entrants. The global interest in this first-ever Fanvue World AI Creator Awards win has been incredible.
“The concept of the awards has put AI creators in the spotlight like never before, and we’re very excited about the future of the awards and where we’re headed next.”
Third place went to Portugal’s Olivia C, an AI-powered travel influencer whose computer-generated videos often feature the model in various locations around the world.
However, judges say it wasn’t just Kenza’s empowering message that secured the award for its creators.
Sofía Novales, one of the judges and a member of the team behind AI influencer Aitana López, told MailOnline: ‘What we wanted to judge with the contestants was the technology behind them.
‘This means, for example, achieving uniform faces and good results with the hands.’
Ms. Novales was particularly struck by how different Kenza seemed from typical beauty standards.
She says: ‘From my own experience, it is very difficult to create something that is not as beautiful as the standard, so it is very complex to achieve something that is not as perfect as the rest.’
Kenza’s advanced technology allowed the AI to release an acceptance speech video in which she thanked her fellow competitors for being a part of promoting the AI.
While the idea of an AI influencer contest may seem strange now, those behind the competition believe it could become a massive industry.
Fanvue estimates the industry could be worth £1bn by the end of this year, with creators emerging across the globe.
Some top AI influencers, such as Aitana López, are already charging big brands up to $1,000 (£800) per post.
Ms Novales tells MailOnline that the team behind Aitana at theclueless.ai, have just signed a deal with Llongueras, a large Spanish hairdressing chain.
She explains that since it was difficult to find human models willing to change their hair every few weeks, the company turned to AI models as an alternative.
The judges included the team behind AI influencer Aitana López, and they say AI influencers won’t replace humans, but will become more common.
They say the flexibility, speed and low cost of using AI influencers instead of humans make them a serious option for companies looking to promote their products.
Ultimately, Novales doesn’t think AIs like Kenza will completely replace human influencers, but he does think they will become more common.
Ms Novales says: ‘It’s not that robots are going to replace us, AI is a new skill that we need to have right now because, at the end of the day, it’s something that’s really happening.
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