# Stanford AI swaps student races in ads

> Stanford R&DE used AI to alter student appearances in ads, sparking student backlash.
- Title: Stanford AI swaps student races in ads · The Stanford Review
- Summary: Stanford R&DE used AI to alter student appearances in ads, sparking student backlash. Stanford R&DE changed students' races and appearances in ads using AI…
- Keywords: stanford, r&de, student, advertising, representation, technology, startups, swaps, races, ads, The Stanford Review
- Source: The Stanford Review — https://stanfordreview.org/stanford-r-de-uses-ai-to-race-swap-students-for-advertising
- Published: 2026-09-21T15:36:35+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: stanford, r&de, ai, student, advertising, representation, technology, startups
## Stanford R&DE uses AI
Stanford Residential & Dining Enterprises recently used AI to change the races of students in its advertisements.
## Billy Ramirez noticed change
Stanford student Billy Ramirez ’27 saw his image replaced by an AI-generated black woman in a campus ad.
## Ramirez describes reaction
Ramirez said he was baffled by the AI changes but upset Stanford altered his race and gender representation.

> I was driving to school from my hometown when my friend sent me the images comparing the banner to the original photos
## Students appear thinner
Two students to Ramirez’s right were distorted, making them appear visibly thinner in the AI-generated ad.
## Incident sparks reactions
The incident generated thousands of reactions on Fizz while highlighting Stanford's racial preferences in advertising.
## Stanford R&DE will monitor
Stanford R&DE will continue monitoring AI use after students exposed the ad changes.
## Key takeaway

Stanford R&DE changed students' races and appearances in ads using AI, causing student frustration over representation.