You can add supermodel to the list of jobs AI is coming for.
Driving the news: Big brands including Calvin Klein, L’Oréal, and Mango are increasingly using AI tools to recreate human models' likeness, train models on their image, and even swap their faces with other models, according to a Reuters investigation.
In some cases, brands are pushing contracts on models that allow them to use their likeness to generate unlimited marketing materials without compensating that model for any future use.
Why it’s happening: According to one startup that specializes in AI model services (kind of a creepy niche), brands can cut their costs by 90% using these tools compared to photo shoots with human photographers and models.
Why it matters: Making these AI-friendly contracts an industry standard could accelerate the job displacement of models, photographers, studio owners, and everyone else who typically touches a photoshoot.
That’s particularly true for fast fashion brands. Because they need to create and market new product lines so quickly, they’ve provided consistent work for the industry. Now, many brands are rolling out AI-generated model images instead.
Zalando, Europe's biggest online fashion retailer, has leaned heavily on AI imagery for marketing and shut down both of its photo studios last year. Another fast fashion brand, About You, closed its studio last year after Zalando acquired it.
Yes, but: Brands risk alienating AI-weary customers. Vogue faced major backlash last year after publishing an ad with an AI-generated model, while Levis took similar heat for using AI to create more “diverse models” instead of actually hiring any diverse models.—LA
