PALO ALTO, CALIF. — Stanford University confirmed that its Residential & Dining Enterprises used artificial intelligence to alter a promotional photo, replacing a Hispanic student with an AI-generated Black female student and slimming others in violation of university policy. The institution stated that the use of AI to alter the race and appearance of students in the image breached its internal guidelines.

A Stanford spokesperson described the incident as "a serious error in judgment." The spokesperson added, "Not only the fact that the image was altered, but the ways in which it was altered, reflect a serious error in judgment." The university confirmed that AI was used to alter the image in violation of university policy.

The controversy centers on an image of three students posing with plates in front of Star Ginger, a food stall in a Stanford dining hall. The original photograph shows one female student and two male students. In the altered image, one of the male students was replaced with an AI-generated Black female student.

The other two students in the altered image were made to look noticeably slimmer. Stanford Residential & Dining Enterprises used the altered image in advertisements. Garret Molloy, editor in chief of The Stanford Review, said the altered photos were placed on welcome banners around campus. The original photo was taken in 2024.

Billy Ramirez is the Hispanic student who was removed from the image. He is a junior studying human biology. Ramirez said he was driving to school from his hometown when his friend sent him the images comparing the banner to the original photos, and he was immediately baffled. "At first, I found it hilarious that they had used AI to completely change our appearances, including my race and gender," he said.

He expressed deeper concern after reviewing the changes. "But after looking at the comparison, I was also upset because I don’t agree with Stanford making those choices about how we were represented," he said. "Seeing my identity changed and being left out of the picture made me feel, in a way, silenced and erased from a representation that was supposed to include me." "To see me erased like that so easily was kind of very upsetting," he said.

The AI alteration made specific visual changes beyond the replacement of Ramirez. The AI-generated Black woman appears to be wearing a Stanford sweatshirt, whereas Billy Ramirez was wearing a Gap sweatshirt in the original photo. The alteration made the words "Stanford University" clearer on the female student’s sweatshirt.

It also removed a pair of headphones hanging around the center male student’s neck. He referred to the alterations as "Al-yassified" on social media.

Molloy said he believes the school was "trying to create this kind of artificial perception of diversity." He noted that previous efforts involved physical photography. "In the past, we did that with college photographers going around campus and trying to find a diverse friend group," Molloy said. "Those college photographers are now being replaced with AI." The Stanford Review, which first reported the AI photo controversy, is described as a right-leaning student newspaper.

Stanford stated that the banners with the altered image have been removed. The original Stanford Dining image has reportedly been removed from the department’s Instagram account. A Stanford spokesperson said, "We have apologized to the students in the photo whose images were altered or erased." The spokesperson added, "Quite simply, this was wrong and should never have happened." Stanford University launched an investigation to determine what happened and to put in place protocols to prevent it from happening again.

The other two students in the photo are an Asian woman and a Latino man. Two other students pictured in the original photograph called for an official apology, an investigation, and a ban on AI-generated student photos. One of the two other students pictured filed a formal discrimination claim. Zachary Henderson, assistant professor of law at SMU Dedman School of Law, said, "As to the student who was removed from the photo I don’t that student has any recourse but the students whose body shape and faces were changed if I were those student I would be thinking what was the consent that I actually gave and do I feel like I harmed by the way they were depicted in those photographs."

The comparison between the original and altered versions spread across Fizz, a social media platform for college campuses that launched at Stanford in 2024. Stanford Residential & Dining Enterprises oversees housing and resident dining hall operations for the university’s more than 18,000 students. Out of the 17,314 students who enrolled at Stanford last fall, 3,406 were classified by the university as underrepresented minorities.

An additional 4,431 students at Stanford were international students. A 2013 study in the Journal of Marketing for Higher Education found that college recruitment materials often featured a higher proportion of Black students than were actually enrolled at the schools studied, while Hispanic students were underrepresented. Stanford has been the subject of federal inquiries involving its medical school admissions practices and a teacher training program.

Why It Matters

This incident shows a violation of Stanford's explicit policy against using AI to alter images of its community. The university's confirmation that the alteration and lack of disclosure breached these rules reflects the institutional stance on digital integrity. The removal of the banners and the launch of an investigation indicate steps taken to address the breach and prevent recurrence.

The event connects to broader discussions about representation in higher education marketing. Historical data shows patterns of overrepresenting certain demographic groups in recruitment materials. The filing of a formal discrimination claim by one of the affected students demonstrates the potential legal and personal repercussions of such alterations. The use of AI to modify student identities relates to ongoing conversations about consent and the ethical boundaries of institutional communications.

What's New

Additional reporting provided details on the specific policy violations and reactions. Stanford spokesperson Charlene Gage stated that Stanford’s AI policy prohibits the use of AI in producing or altering images of Stanford people, events, research, facilities, or achievements. Gage stated that both the alteration and lack of disclosure in this case violate Stanford's AI policy.

She stated, "We are working to provide additional training for all staff and ensure proper review of all materials." He said, "At first, I found it hilarious that they had used AI to completely change our appearances, including my race and gender." He said he was driving to school from his hometown when his friend sent him the images comparing the banner to the original photos, and he was immediately baffled. The AI alteration made the words "Stanford University" clearer on the female student’s sweatshirt. Zachary Henderson, assistant professor of law at SMU Dedman School of Law, offered legal perspective on the incident.

How Sources Differ

Sources provided different figures regarding the university's population. Sources also differed on the scope of the department's actions. Stanford University administrative data focused on the operational oversight of housing and dining for more than 18,000 students.