Stanford students AI image incident — Sep 2026

Stanford University’s Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE) faced significant controversy after using generative AI to alter the appearance of students in a promotional photograph. The image, which featured students posing with food in Wilbur Dining, was modified to change the students' clothing to Stanford apparel and to alter their faces, including changes to their race and gender.

What happened

The incident came to light following a viral post by student Billy Ramirez, who revealed that his own appearance had been artificially modified in the promotional material. Two other students featured in the same photograph, who identified themselves as 'The Other Two,' later spoke out regarding the institutional failure. They expressed shock and embarrassment over the alteration of their ethnic facial features and the subsequent online commentary. A University spokesperson confirmed that the actions violated Stanford’s AI policy, which strictly prohibits the use of AI to produce or alter images of Stanford people without disclosure. In response, the affected students filed a Title VI report for discrimination and demanded a transparent investigation, a public apology, and a commitment from the administration to cease the creation of AI-generated images of students. The students also utilized the incident to criticize broader institutional trends, including cuts to DEI initiatives and declining enrollment numbers for Black and Latino students, arguing that the university used AI-generated diversity as a marketing tool while failing to provide genuine support for those communities.