Playboy model photo used as tester by engineers since 1970s dropped as it’s not ‘inclusive’
A photograph of a Playboy model that has been used by engineers in image processing tests since the 1970s has been dropped because it is not “inclusive”.
The famous photograph of Swedish former model Lena Forsén - cropped from the Playboy original - has been a staple in image processing research for decades.
However, a leading organisation in the computing field has said that starting from April 1, they will no longer be accepting any research papers which include the 1972 “Lena image”.
Terry Benzel, the vice president of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a global professional association, said: “New manuscript submissions will no longer be allowed to include the Lena image.”
‘Code of ethics’
He cited a motion passed by the group’s publishing board, which stated: “IEEE’s diversity statement and supporting policies such as the IEEE code of ethics speak to IEEE’s commitment to promoting an inclusive and equitable culture that welcomes all.
“In alignment with this culture and with respect to the wishes of the subject of the image, Lena Forsén, IEEE will no longer accept submitted papers, which include the picture.
The use of the image in the tech world has not been without controversy over the years and as referenced in the motion, Ms Forsén herself has urged the industry to stop using it.
Speaking to WIRED magazine in 2019, she said she was “really proud” of the picture, saying: “I don’t understand but I think I’ve made some good.”
But after the release of a documentary titled Losing Lena, which spearheaded the effort to encourage computer science to move on from the image, she said: “I retired from modelling a long time ago.
“It’s time I retired from tech, too. We can make a simple change today that creates a lasting change for tomorrow. Let’s commit to losing me.”
Pivotal role
Ms Forsén, now 73, is now a retired grandmother living in Sweden.
In 1997, the former model was presented with a wooden mantel clock - dedicated to “The First Lady of the Internet” - by the Society for Imaging Science and Technology in recognition of her pivotal role in shaping the digital world.
The Playboy photograph of her wearing nothing but a feathered sun hat, boots, stockings and a pink boa was taken when she was just 21.
It shot to tech world fame when a copy turned up at the University of Southern California’s Signal and Image Processing Institute, where Alexander Sawchuk was looking for a new picture to test his and his team’s latest compression algorithm.
Ms Forsén’s picture became the perfect candidate with its colours and textures and so the image of the young model became an industry standard which was replicated countless times. The WIRED article refers to Lena as “the patron saint of JPEGs”.
The IEEE’s decision comes after the scientific journal Nature blocked the Lena image in all of its research journals in 2018.
In an unsigned editorial, the publisher explained the reason behind the decision, saying: “We believe that the history of the Lena image clashes with the extensive efforts to promote women undertaking higher education in science and engineering.”
