The Stanford Graduate Student Council (GSC) slated a bill this Monday compelling Stanford to address a recent controversy in which promotional materials used AI to change students’ appearances. The Council also considered holding an election for a new Councilor-at-Large and unanimously approved $8,000 in funding for a popular Halloween party hosted later this month.
GSC will vote on the bill next week to pressure the University and Stanford Residential and Dining Enterprises (R&DE) to publicly apologise for using AI to alter the students.
The bill also called for a transparent and thorough investigation into the incident, a commitment to avoiding AI alterations of students, increased efforts to reinstate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and the removal of all remaining physical and digital copies of the AI-altered image.
While GSC acknowledged that the University released a statement about the alteration and that President Levin subsequently met with the affected students, the consensus among the group was that Stanford had not done enough to rectify their mistake.
The bill also aimed to compel Stanford to include the communities “most affected by AI misrepresentation” on its AI Advisory Committee. It is not clear who this language refers to.
According to Laila Ali, the Undergraduate Senator presenting the resolution, the bill was “about accountability for the mistake and ensuring something like this doesn’t happen again.”
Later, GSC co-chair Elena Vasilache mentioned that GSC co-treasurer Ari Economon intends to give up his seat. Economon previously represented the Graduate School of Business (GSB).
In the meantime, the seat will be filled internally by another GSB member. An election for a Councilor-at-Large in the near future would be “open to any graduate student from any school,” according to Vasilache.
Alongside the soon-to-be vacant Councilor seat, GSC weighted internal processes to handle the co-treasurer and Faculty Senate representative roles that Economon currently holds.
While the position of a second co-treasurer is not necessary, the Council still hoped to fill the seat.
The GSC also approved $8,000 in funding to be allocated toward the Rains Halloween Party on Oct. 30.
The party — which GSC councilor Emma Keller lauded as “the largest grade-wide party of the year” — has incurred progressively increasing costs in recent years. The 2026 party is expected to cost over $10,000, making the need for additional funds more important.
The $8,000 appropriation was passed unanimously.
The bill includes funding for 9 barrels of beer and cider, an aspect of the party which drew concerns about “the danger posed by drunk undergrads,” as Keller put it. Sober monitors for the event will be compensated with gift cards.