AI editing app's 'remove anything' feature ad banned

An advertisement for a video and image editing application suggesting users could digitally undress a woman has been prohibited by the UK's advertising authority.

The YouTube commercial for PixVideo - AI Video Maker, viewed in January, displayed "before" and "after" images of a young woman. 

The initial image had red scribbles on her torso, with the subsequent image showing parts of her skin exposed.

Text along the bottom read, "Erase anything," followed by a heart-eyes emoji.

Eight individuals reported to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that the advertisement sexualized and objectified women, considering it irresponsible, offensive, and harmful.

Whether the image in the ad portrayed a real person or was AI-created remains uncertain, with the ASA informing the BBC that determining this was not part of their probe.

The authority noted that PixVideo does not allow users to undress individuals in digital images for explicit content creation, but that viewers might infer otherwise.

"Since the ad suggested viewers could use an app to remove a woman’s clothing, we believe it endorsed altering and displaying women’s bodies digitally without their approval," the organisation stated.

They added that the ad was "irresponsible, reinforced a damaging gender stereotype, and was apt to deeply offend."

Saeta Tech, the owner of PixVideo, acknowledged the ad’s potential to offend but attributed this to its delivery and messaging rather than its product's intended use.

They stated that the creation of nude or explicit content is prohibited and emphasised having automated systems to detect and block the creation of such images.

The firm has agreed to cease showing the ad and has temporarily suspended all advertising while conducting an internal evaluation.