AI is learning fast. But is it learning us?
That's the question posed by the Black Beauty AI Challenge — a game-changing initiative from Black Girls Code and textured haircare favorite The Doux. They’re calling on girls and young women across the U.S. to use AI as a tool for creativity, culture, and representation.
The challenge: Create an AI-generated video that reflects your definition of beauty — and make sure the algorithms see Blackness in all its brilliance, nuance, and innovation.
Though cash, prizes, and a national spotlight are on the line for the top video creators, the real winner will be the Black community as a whole, says The Doux CEO Maya Smith.
“If Black creators don't guide what AI learns from us, we risk being overlooked — or worse, misrepresented,” she says. "This challenge is about taking control of that narrative and running the code ourselves.”
Participants ages 13 to 25 will create a 60–90 second video using free versions of AI-powered tools such as Kaiber.ai, Runway ML, Pika, Canva, and CapCut. Cash prizes range from $500 to $1,500, along with The Doux gift cards and national exposure for top entries.
The Black Beauty AI Challenge is more than a contest; it’s a moment. "The future of AI is being written right now," says Black Girls Code CEO Cristina Mancini. “This challenge is about nurturing confidence and sparking creativity to empower women to lead in this new tech era."
Mancini will serve on the judging panel, along with Maya Smith and her husband/ business partner Brian Smith, The Doux COO; Essence Senior Beauty Editor Akili King; content creator and TV personality Blake Newby; Fashion Bomb Daily founder Claire Sulmers; People Deputy Beauty Director Jackie Fields; Cosmopolitan Beauty Editor-at-Large Julee Wilson; and Byrdie Senior Beauty Editor Olivia Hancock.
The challenge is open in two categories: Youth Track (aged 13-17 years) and Young Adult Track (aged 18-25 years). Winners will be featured on Instagram and TikTok, and the top entries will debut at a New York City pop-up gallery on MLK Day 2026.
For stylists and salon owners who’ve long been pushing for more inclusive tools and tech that actually see textured hair, deeper skin tones, and Black beauty standards — this is the future we’ve been asking for. Built by us. For us.