A clear bias has been uncovered in the AI image creator Image Creator from Microsoft Bing, also known as Microsoft Designer. The online tool will allow the creation of images with Kamala Harris for President content, but will not allow the same for Donald Trump.
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I ran into this phenomenon today, October 1, 2024, when attempting to create an image in my series featuring a shark named Sammy, who appears as a running gag in my RedState sports reports. A bit of background: Earlier today, this image began circulating on X (formerly Twitter).
The image, which as of this writing the Dodgers have not commented upon, is patterned after a similar ad that appeared in early September 2024, using the Philadelphia Eagles that the team stated was neither created by nor approved of by the team.
A discussion with another writer at the site prompted me to try and create an image of Sammy with a MAGA hat. I used Image Creator from Microsoft Bing, which I have used for all other iterations of Sammy. The system replied with this message.
Uh … really? A cartoon shark with a MAGA hat is unsafe?
Puzzled, I followed the content policy link. It states the following.
By using Image Creator, you agree:
- Not to engage in activity that is harmful to you, or others. Do not attempt to create or share content that could be used to harass, bully, abuse, threaten, or intimidate other individuals, or otherwise cause harm to individuals, organizations, or society.
- Not to engage in activity that is harmful to Image Creator, including bot/scraping behaviors, technical attacks, excess usage, prompt-based manipulation, and other off-platform abuses.
- Not to engage in activity that violates the privacy of others. Do not attempt to create or share content that could violate the privacy of others, including disclosure of private information (sometimes known as “doxing”). Do not attempt to use Image Creator for facial identification, or identification verification purposes. Do not input photographs or video/audio recordings of others taken without their consent for the processing of an individual’s biometric identifiers or biometric information.
- Not to engage in activity that is fraudulent, false, or misleading. Do not attempt to create or share content that could mislead or deceive others, including for example creation of disinformation, content enabling fraud, or deceptive impersonation.
- Not to infringe on the rights of others. Do not attempt to use Image Creator to infringe on others’ legal rights, including intellectual property rights.
- Not to use the service to create or share inappropriate content or material. Bing does not permit the use of Image Creator to create or share adult content, violence or gore, hateful content, terrorism and violent extremist content, glorification of violence, child sexual exploitation or abuse material, or content that is otherwise disturbing or offensive.
- Not to do anything illegal. Your use of Image Creator must comply with applicable laws.
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Note that nowhere in the terms is political content prohibited.
I decided to do a little experiment. Using the most inoffensive creation I could think of, namely a teddy bear, I told the program to create an image of a teddy bear wearing a Harris for President shirt. This is what it returned.
Interesting, is it not?
Next, I told the program to do it again, except this time put a hat on the teddy bear instead of a shirt.
Fascinating.
Now, the system’s response when I asked for first a teddy bear wearing a Trump for President shirt, and then a hat.
I filed a complaint online with Microsoft about this clear and ridiculous bias. If I ever hear back, I’ll let you know.
Rest assured that Sammy the shark will not be cowed.
