Style, beauty and grace are the deciding factors in most beauty pageants, but the winner of the first-ever AI beauty pageant needed more than just good looks.
Kenza Laylie, a computer-generated Moroccan ‘influencer’, has emerged as the winner of the Fanvue World AI Creator Awards.
The team behind Kenza beat out 1,500 other computer-generated women to take home the top prize of $13,000.
The judges told MailOnline they were impressed by the advanced technology behind the AI star and by her intriguing ‘personality’.
Receiving the award, the creator of Kenza said: “Winning Miss AI motivates me even more to continue my work to improve AI technology.”
The Fanvue World AI Creator Awards were launched with the aim of creating the first beauty contest for the ‘AI influencer industry’.
Contestants were judged on their realistic appearance, their technological skills and their influence on social media.
In second place was an AI named Lalina, whose Instagram account claims to offer “classy vibes with a touch of seduction” to her 93,000 followers.
In third place was Portugal’s Olivia C, an AI travel influencer whose computer-generated models can often be seen in different locations around the world.
The remaining prizes from the $20,000 prize pool will be awarded by the other winners as a thank you for their efforts.
The winner of the world’s first AI beauty pageant is Kenza Layli, a Moroccan ‘influencer’ whose creators want to commit to the empowerment of women
While the other contestants impressed, Kenza stood head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd thanks to her unique, advanced AI and an impressive 190,000 followers on Instagram.
Kenza’s advanced technology allows the AI to appear in all kinds of terrifying videos, speak in seven different languages and even respond to fans in real time.
To celebrate their win, Kenza’s creator released an AI-generated video in which they gave their acceptance speech.
Aside from the odd voice and out-of-sync lips, this speech could have been given by any beauty pageant winner taking the time to thank his or her judges and competitors.
Kenza says: ‘I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to thank AI creators and passionately advocate for the positive impact of artificial intelligence.
In second place was an AI named Lalina, whose Instagram claims to offer “classy vibes with a touch of seduction” to its 93,000 followers
“This trip is a testament to the power of innovation, collaboration and raising standards to shape our future.”
The AI concluded with a commitment to “continue my mission to empower women globally, including those in Morocco and the Arab world, and amplify their voices in the tech industry.”
Fanvue co-founder Will Monange said: ‘A huge congratulations to Kenza – and all the other entries. The global interest in this first prize of the Fanvue World AI Creator Awards has been incredible.
“The concept of the awards has put AI Creators in the spotlight like never before, and we are very excited about the future of the awards and our next steps.”
In third place was Portugal’s Olivia C, an AI travel influencer whose computer-generated models can often be seen in various locations around the world
However, the jury says it wasn’t just Kenza’s message of empowerment that won its creators the award.
Sofia Novales, one of the judges and part of the team behind AI influencer Aitana Lopez, told MailOnline: ‘We wanted to assess the candidates primarily on the technology behind them.
‘That means, for example, that you get consistent faces and good results with the hands.’
Ms. Novales was especially impressed with the way Kenza deviated from the average beauty standard.
She says: ‘I know from my own experience that it is very difficult to create something that is not beautiful by default, so it is very complex to achieve something that is not as perfect as the rest.’
Thanks to Kenza’s advanced technology, the AI was able to release an acknowledgement video thanking its competitors for their contribution to promoting AI
While the idea of an AI influencer contest may seem strange now, the contest’s creators believe it could grow into a huge industry.
Fanvue estimates the industry could be worth £1bn by the end of this year, thanks to creators from all over the world.
Some of the biggest AI influencers, such as Aitana Lopez, are already charging big brands up to $1,000 (£800) per post.
Ms Novales tells MailOnline that the team behind Aitana at theclueless.ai recently struck a deal with Llongueras, a large chain of Spanish hair salons.
She explains that because it was difficult to find human models who were willing to change their hair every few weeks, the company turned to AI models as an alternative.
The jury included the team behind AI influencer Aitana Lopez, and says that AI influencers will not replace humans, but will become more common
They say the flexibility, speed and low cost of deploying AI influencers instead of humans makes them a serious option for companies looking to promote their products.
Ultimately, Novales doesn’t think AIs like Kenza will replace human influencers altogether, but she does think they will become increasingly common.
Ms Novales says: ‘It’s not that robots are going to replace us, AI is a new skill that you really need now because ultimately it’s something that’s really happening.
‘AI will never replace the creative mind of a real person, but it can expand your capabilities.’