Last May, Be A Lion (a subsidiary of Mediaset Spain) announced that it would address in a short film the social and cultural risks and challenges presented by Artificial Intelligence, especially in relation to the representation of women and the perpetuation of certain canons. aesthetic. Under the title of “Thing Girl”the objective of the short is to denounce the misuse that some people, companies and brands are making of artificial intelligence when generating images of women and to demand the need for standards of responsibility towards this technology.
The Sala Equis in Madrid was an old pornographic cinema during the “uncovering” era
For the presentation and viewing of what is its first fiction short, Be a Lion organized an event last week at the emblematic Sala Equis in Madrid. The choice of this location – transformed from an old pornographic cinema during the “uncovering” era, when it was known as Cines Alba – thus added a symbolic context to the event. In this space, now converted into a cultural meeting point, the importance of questioning the harmful uses of technology in the perpetuation of problematic narratives about the female body was highlighted.
Luis MovillaDirector of Branded Content & Experience at VIA Talents Agency, the social intelligence innovation division of Be a Lion, and Elena LosaDirector of Communication at Be a Lion gave way to the screening of “Thing Girl”. A disturbing story about Cintia, a female virtual identity exploited to create sexual content, showing the ethical and social consequences of misused technology.
A commitment to the ethical use of artificial intelligence
The short, starring the virtual influencer Alba Renaiis a piece that combines creativity and technology to expose the ethical dilemmas of digital advancement. Directed by José Ramón Ayerra, “Thing Girl” seeks to reinforce “Be a Lion’s commitment to promoting responsible AI”as the company explains, a topic that they have also previously addressed with the preparation of a code of ethics in collaboration with the University of Malaga.
And the film not only seeks to entertain, but also Raise awareness about the dangers of irresponsible use of AI. In this sense, Be a Lion has worked together with the University of Malaga to create a code of ethics which establishes some fundamental principles for the development and use of virtual identities, such as Alba Renai.
This code addresses issues such as inclusive representation, non-objectification and respect for diversity in digital environments. During its development, the team identified worrying patterns of exploitation of virtual identities for purposes that perpetuate harmful stereotypesincluding the hypersexualization of female characters. And from these findings arose the need to create projects like “Thing Girl”, to make these problems visible and promote public debate.
More info: Executive Summary – Code of Ethics for Responsible AI
