Facial Beauty According to AI: Algorithmic Aesthetics and the Transformation of Contemporary Beauty

Abstract

Background: Generative artificial intelligence (AI) can produce realistic human faces that are shared on social media, from where younger generations often derive body image norms. Aesthetic bias in these systems may promote unrealistic standards of beauty. This study examines whether generative AI produces facial images that are perceived by humans as more attractive than real human faces. Thus, we examine AI-generated facial imagery as a contemporary site of consumer culture, where beauty may become biased, unrealistic, and commodified: generating an algorithmically optimized product circulating through social media and digital platforms without proper regulation. Methods: Fifty AI-generated female faces were prospectively compared with 50 photographs of female models from a model agency. Facial attractiveness was rated by plastic surgeons, using a Likert scale and Mann–Whitney U for analysis. Results: AI-generated images received higher mean aesthetic scores than real photographs (7.79 vs. 6.88, p < 0.05), despite prompts requesting unattractive features. Conclusions: The AI model showed a small but consistent bias toward enhanced facial attractiveness. As AI-generated imagery increasingly shapes visual culture, this bias may contribute to unrealistic beauty standards, highlighting the need for AI literacy, responsible use of AI, and ethical oversight, especially when shared on social media.

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