A freelance film editor has used artificial intelligence to create the 'perfect' Love Island contestant, merging images of past winners from the past eight seasons. The AI-generated line-up, created by Duncan Thomsen, 53, combines the features of former Islanders such as Ekin-Su Cülcüloglu, Davide Sanclimenti, Amber Gill, and Greg O'Shea.
The resulting computer-generated contestants bear a striking resemblance to the real-life singles heading to the Mallorca villa for the 2023 series. Thomsen predicts that 'an AI version of Love Island will be broadcast on our screens using islanders like the ones I’ve created,' adding that 'people will be voting for a couple that don’t even exist.'
Love Island has faced criticism over its lack of diversity. Former contestant Priya Gopaldas, who appeared in 2021, noted that Asians, who make up 9.3% of England and Wales, are rarely seen on the show. Sharon Gaffka also claimed in 2022 that Asian women were treated as 'a token or a tick box.'
In response to accessibility concerns, ITV has introduced descriptive recordings for each islander in the upcoming season, following the inclusion of the show's first deaf contestant in 2022 and first partially sighted singleton in 2023.
