The 33-year-old digital persona, Kenza Layli, created by Moroccan tech firm Phoenix AI, recently made history by winning the title of Miss AI at the first-ever World AI Creator Awards (WAICA) beating over 1,500 other virtual models from around the world.
Meriem Bessa, CEO and co-founder of Phoenix AI said that she wasn’t just creating an AI for competitions like Miss AI; she wanted Kenza to be a champion for positive social values.
Preparing for the Miss AI pageant involved rigorous training, scenario simulations, and extensive testing to ensure a flawless performance.
A unique challenge, according to Bessa, was equipping Kenza to handle unexpected questions while maintaining composure and authenticity. This required meticulous refinements to her response algorithms.
The judging criteria at Miss AI encompassed conversational fluency, creativity, cultural awareness, and responsible AI development.
Contestants were assessed on their ability to engage with the audience, showcase their personalities, and thoughtfully address diverse topics. Realism, technological prowess, and online influence were all key considerations.
“We wanted to create an engaging virtual persona that promotes empowerment, diversity, and connection,” Bessa said, emphasizing their pursuit of showcasing Moroccan innovation on the world stage.
The judges for the event formed a unique team, with entrepreneur Andrew Bloch and pageant expert Sally-Ann Fawcett bringing human perspectives, while AI creations Aitana Lopez and Emily Pellegrini offered an AI influencer’s viewpoint.
According to Bessa, Kenza’s intelligence is driven by a combination of advanced natural language processing, machine learning algorithms, and transformer architecture, which allows her to understand and respond to language naturally.
This technology also allows her to handle complex topics, adjust to different situations, and even present various perspectives, all while keeping a unique personality that resonates with people worldwide.
What truly sets Kenza apart is her ability to produce video content and respond instantly to followers in multiple languages via text and audio on her Instagram account.
“Crafting Kenza’s personality involved meticulous research and user feedback to ensure she embodied traits like empathy, intelligence, and creativity,” Bessa said.
Bessa further added that the challenge in creating Kenza was balancing cultural representation with global appeal, but she approached it by integrating diverse Moroccan cultural elements and fostering inclusivity in Kenza’s interactions.
“Our Moroccan culture is very well-received worldwide, so it wasn’t difficult to showcase it while addressing an international audience,” she said.
The seamless integration of Moroccan cultural elements into Kenza’s interactions became a cornerstone of her development.
While excelling in conversation and adaptability, Kenza is still under development in other areas.
“However, she is still developing in areas like deeper emotional understanding and real-time decision-making in complex scenarios, which we continuously work on improving,” said Bessa.
Looking ahead, Phoenix AI plans to continually refine Kenza’s capabilities by integrating advanced AI features, expanding her knowledge base, and fostering partnerships that allow her to connect with various communities.
According to Bessa, the goal is to position Kenza as a leader in the AI space and a role model for future AI technologies. The team is also developing a range of other AI characters, including Kenza’s siblings.
Kenza’s diverse content, encompassing food, culture, fashion, beauty, and travel, has garnered her a substantial following of over 200,000 on Instagram.
She blends Morocco’s rich heritage with cutting-edge technology, engaging followers in seven languages around the clock.
Phoenix AI sees Kenza’s win as an opportunity to empower Moroccan, Arab, African, and Muslim women in the tech landscape while advocating for women’s rights and unity.
The creators envisioned Kenza as a symbol of a strong and modern Moroccan woman, promoting messages of peace and gender equality within the region.
Upon winning the pageant, Kenza expressed her gratitude and excitement.
“A big thanks to everyone who has been with me and supported me throughout this incredible experience. This award is a celebration of all our efforts in the world of AI! Proudly presenting my country Morocco,” Kenza said on Instagram.
The World AI Creators Awards (WAICA) brought together 10 finalists from a pool of 1,500 participants, all created by international teams utilizing AI programs like OpenAI’s DALL-E 3, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion.
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