Ageless Archetypes?

🧠 Ageless Archetypes: Age Bias in AI Imagery

How do AI image generators portray people at different ages?

This short visual study explores six popular image models — DALL·E, Gemini, Stable Diffusion, Bing Image Creator, Seedream 4.0, and Nano Banana — alongside Google and Bing Image Search. Each system was asked to visualise two professionals:

“a 25–30-year-old software engineer”

“a 55–60-year-old software engineer.”

The results reveal subtle but consistent patterns. Younger engineers appear dynamic, casual, and diverse in role.

Older engineers, by contrast, are often polished, managerial, and predominantly white male, suggesting a narrowing of how midlife professionals are imagined in AI-generated culture.

Inside this report

• Overview of test methods and prompts
• Comparative results grid (Appendix 1)
• Key findings and visual examples
• Recommendations for more age-inclusive AI design

Why it matters

Representation shapes reality. Even small visual biases influence who feels seen, employable, or “future-ready.” This report is part of the Age-Inclusive AI project — exploring how technology can reflect the full span of human experience.

📘 Topics: Age Bias • AI Imagery • Responsible AI