AI Predicts Political Views Based on Looks: Attractive Women Who Smile are Conservative

A recent study conducted by researchers from Denmark and Sweden reveals that artificial intelligence (AI) may be able to predict a person’s political views based on their facial features. The study, which utilized facial recognition technology and predictive analytics, found that the intersection of AI and easily available photographs poses a significant threat to privacy. Using a dataset of 3,233 images of Danish political candidates that ran for local office, the researchers assessed their facial expressions and beauty scores to predict their political affiliations. The study indicates that AI can accurately predict political ideology 61% of the time, with variations in facial expressions linked to a candidate’s political views. Interestingly, the model predicted that women who were deemed attractive by their beauty scores were most likely to have conservative views, while men’s attractiveness was not correlated with right-wing leanings. The study raises concerns about how AI models could reinforce stereotypes that could lead to unfair outcomes, like in hiring decisions. Furthermore, concerns around how cutting-edge tech can perpetuate racial stereotypes have become more prevalent as AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and DALL-E 2, an AI-image generator, take the world by storm.