'Edited My Photo To Unbutton My Blouse': Ex-Google Employee Claims AI Altered Her Photo For Conference Poster

A UI/UX designer, Elizabeth Lazarki, has claimed that her photo for a conference poster was edited by the event organisers, who added a bra to the image using AI. Lazarki, known for her work with Google Maps, Facebook, and YouTube, is set to attend a conference on UX and AI design later this year. Upon receiving the promotional poster, she noticed something was off with her picture."I just saw an ad for the conference with my photo and thought, ‘wait, that doesn't look right,’” Lazarki shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter). She compared the original and edited versions, realizing that her blouse had been altered to appear unbuttoned, with a hint of a bra added.She immediately contacted the conference host, who apologised and explained that their social media manager used AI to elongate the photo to fit the layout. The AI generated a lower portion of the image, mistakenly altering Lazarki’s outfit. "AI invented the bottom part of the image... revealing a little hint of something underneath," Lazarki said.

I'm talking at a conference later this year (on UX+AI).

I just saw an ad for the conference with my photo and was like, wait, that doesn't look right.

Is my bra showing in my profile pic and I've never noticed...? That's weird.

I open my original photo.
No bra showing.

I put… pic.twitter.com/CpoIgiXtUI

— Elizabeth Laraki (@elizlaraki) October 15, 2024

The incident, which has since garnered over 2 million views, has left social media users stunned. Many pointed out the problematic ways AI can reinforce gender stereotypes. One user remarked, "AI sexualises women's images nearly every time, an interesting reflection of our culture." Another commented that Lazarki’s firsthand experience with AI mishaps would certainly make for an engaging topic at the upcoming conference.-