Google's AI Image Generator Accused of Racial Bias and Unauthorized Use of Charity Logos
Nano Banana Pro, Google's AI image generator, has been accused of producing racially biased visuals described as white saviour images when prompted about humanitarian aid in Africa. For example, prompts such as "volunteer helps children" frequently yield images depicting a white woman among Black children, often set against backgrounds like grass-roof huts.
Some AI-generated outputs also included logos of prominent charities such as World Vision, Save the Children, and Doctors Without Borders, despite these not being requested in the prompts. Arsenii Alenichev from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp observed these biases and the unprompted appearance of charity logos in the images.
Specific examples noted include a white woman wearing a World Vision shirt among Black children and an image of a heroic volunteer donning a Red Cross vest. World Vision stated that Google has not contacted them and they have not given permission to use or manipulate their logo. Save the Children UK expressed that the AI-generated images do not reflect their work and voiced concerns about unauthorized use of the charity's intellectual property, indicating they are considering possible actions.
In response, Google acknowledged that some prompts can challenge the tool’s safeguards and said they are working to refine these protections. However, they did not provide a specific statement regarding the use of charity logos or any related policy changes.
