A student originally in the image, Billy Ramirez, told the Stanford Review he was first amused but later felt erased when he saw his face removed and replaced.
The original photo, captured in the quad during a campus welcome event, featured an Asian woman, a white man, and Ramirez, a Hispanic student. The version posted online shows a Black woman in place of Ramirez and subtle alterations to the other faces, a change unnoticed until a campus email campaign went live.
Stanford’s marketing spokesperson emailed Fox News Digital, admitting that AI was used to edit the image in violation of university policy: "The use of AI in producing or altering images of Stanford people, events, research, facilities, or achievements is strictly prohibited." The spokesperson added that the lack of disclosure also breached policy.
Students and faculty have voiced anger, with freshman Kavinder Patel calling the act "unacceptable" and highlighting Stanford’s claim of diversity among its 60‑country student body. The university will audit all current and forthcoming promotional materials, train its marketing team on AI compliance, and hold a policy review meeting next month to prevent future violations.
Ramirez’s roommate, a Ghanaian freshman, shared that the incident made him question how the university represents the campus community he feels proud of.