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Artificial intelligence (AI) models have become increasingly prevalent within social media and advertising circles, prompting concerns about their impact on body image, especially among young people. Mia Perumal, a 19-year-old student at Cardiff University who has recovered from an eating disorder, expressed significant worry about this technology worsening unrealistic beauty ideals. She reflected that if AI had been accessible during her struggle with an eating disorder, it could have caused severe harm.
According to Mia, AI-generated visuals, including photos and videos, are becoming more and more difficult to distinguish from reality. She recounted her early experiences when, at age 12, social media algorithms bombarded her with harmful content. Today, she observes an increased presence of extremely thin, AI-created ‘beautiful people’ on social platforms, often attracting admiration from girls as young as 12 who share comments like, “Dream body, drop your workout routine I want to look like this.” Mia described this phenomenon as deeply saddening because achieving such AI-crafted beauty is impossible and believes strict regulation is necessary to mitigate damage.
Kelly Watts, now 41, recalls her teenage years worrying about appearance and frequently comparing herself to models in magazines. She is now concerned about her 11-year-old son, Oscar, who enjoys rugby and has begun noticing some of his peers are taller. Although Oscar does not use social media yet and has not expressed body concerns, Kelly fears that AI-generated images, which may infiltrate the YouTube content he consumes, could create unrealistic role models. She pointed to the constant exposure children face to idealized bodies, such as footballers with six-packs, and stated this presence of perfection can pressure young minds unnecessarily. Kelly stressed the importance of AI literacy and clearer labeling to help people, especially children, distinguish real from synthetic images. “Why do we want to compare ourselves to a robot instead of a human?” she asked.
Experts add further insight on the psychological effects of AI-generated beauty standards. Phillippa Diedrichs, professor of psychology at the Centre for Appearance Research, University of the West of England, pointed out how human beings naturally compare themselves to others, but the narrow and often unrealistic ideals proliferated by social media and AI images heighten feelings of inadequacy. She explained these digitally constructed images often represent features that do not exist biologically, which can lead to negative self-perception. Diedrichs noted that promoting diversity and inclusion in AI-generated content might help foster a healthier self-view because people would see themselves reflected more authentically. However, unless AI creators intentionally diversify outputs, the technology tends to reproduce conventional beauty norms that exclude marginalized groups, reinforcing societal biases. While teenagers often demonstrate critical awareness of digital media, this does not always prevent them from aspiring to unrealistic images. Diedrichs urged people to question whether content makes them feel good or inspired rather than lacking.
In addition to these concerns, research from Zoe Lee and Hannah Marriott at Cardiff Business School highlights consumer reactions to AI-generated fashion models and digital twins, the latter being virtual versions of real models. Brands like Balmain, Levi’s, and H&M have experimented with this technology, but the studies reveal that many consumers react negatively once they learn the models are not real, expressing a preference for genuine individuals who can relate personal experiences. Marriott observed that people tend to emotionally detach from AI images once aware they are artificial. H&M has worked with real models to create digital twins, where the models maintain full control and ownership of their digital likenesses. However, as of spring 2025, the company paused this exploration to reconsider its approach. While attempts to reach out to several major brands for comment were made, responses were not included.
Those impacted by eating disorders, self-harm, or related issues are encouraged to seek support from dedicated resources such as the BBC Action Line
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