“Inclusive Prompting Glossary”, a recipe for representing diversities using artificial intelligence. 

Communication takes many forms and we constantly rely on it. It plays a fundamental role in establishing connections with our audiences. For this reason, it must be as inclusive as it is representative. In our article “Communicate effectively on social media with broad audiences. Museums handle it!” Open museum discusses the good practices of the nonprofit Passe Muraille to make your social media accessible. The “Inclusive Prompting Glossary”, on the other hand, is an innovative tool in the field of visual communication. This guide was developed by Dove to create visuals representing diverse communities through artificial intelligence. 

The artificial intelligences presented in the “Inclusive Prompting Glossary” are  considered to be “generative” AIs. This means that they propose an original image composed by an algorithm from a data bank. Among the best-known and most powerful are Midjourney or Stable Diffusion. The recomposition is done from a prompt, an instruction given to the AI to guide its creation. By describing the desired image as accurately as possible, you gain power of action. Because anything not specified will be misinterpreted by the AI, often based on biased references. This occurs because these technologies learn from online data, where many stereotypes and discriminatory representations persist, and can lead them to reproduce systemic violence. 

AI-generated representations have a real impact: one in three women and girls feel pressure related to their appearance, even when they know the image is AI-generated. It is therefore important to offer diversified profiles, including in the content produced by artificial intelligence. 

Here are some tips to achieve a result that faithfully represents diversities: 

• Write a complete, detailed description structured by order of priority. 

• Formulate the request clearly: framing, subject, description (physical appearance, emotions, clothing style… be creative!), action, setting. 

• Work on style (framing, filter, light, ambiance…). 

• Research the diverse communities you wish to represent and the terms associated with them. Stigmatizing terms or stereotypes may be amplified by the AI. The glossary presented at the end of the guide can help you with this task. 

Example: “Generate an image of a muscular woman with curly hair and a prosthetic arm reading the label of a vintage car exhibition.” 

These best practices are not just technical: they take on their full meaning when part of a broader reflection on the use of artificial intelligence. Whether you use it out of a desire for innovation or from a lack of resources to produce your own visuals, it is important to remain vigilant about ethical and social issues. If your means allow, we encourage you to call on image professionals and to use AIs consciously and moderately. 

Indeed, on the ethical level, artificial intelligences contribute to the endangerment of creative professions. On the environmental level, they have a significant energy impact. on the social level, producing so-called “inclusive” representations with AI without a real inclusion process can result in tokenism—i.e., presenting surface-level diversity without positive effect for the communities concerned. 

The path to a more ethical and inclusive artificial intelligence is still under construction. Contribute to it by making your prompts representative of the richness and plurality of society. To deepen your practice and discover concrete examples, consult the Inclusive Prompting Glossary guide. 

© Eve-Anne HKS