VIRTUAL SHOW OF EVERY SHAPE AND COLOUR
There are fears the use of AI-generated models in photo shoots may push human ones out of jobs and leave the industry with less genuine diversity
London-based model Alexsandrah has a twin, but not in the way you would expect: her counterpart is made of pixels instead of flesh and blood.
The virtual twin was generated by artificial intelligence and has already appeared as a stand-in for the real-life Alexsandrah in a photo shoot. Alexsandrah, who goes by her first name professionally, in turn receives credit and compensation whenever the AI version of herself gets used – just like a human model.
Alexsandrah says she and her alter ego mirror each other “even down to the baby hairs”. And it is yet another example of how AI is transforming creative industries – and the way humans may or may not be compensated.
Proponents say the growing use of AI in fashion modelling showcases diversity in all shapes and sizes, allowing consumers to make more tailored buying decisions that, in turn, reduces fashion waste from product returns. And digital modelling saves money for companies and creates opportunities for people who want to work with the technology.
But critics raise concerns that digital models may push human models – and other professionals like make-up artists and photographers – out of a job. Unsuspecting consumers could also be fooled into thinking AI models are real, and companies could claim credit for fulfilling diversity commitments without employing actual humans.
“Fashion is exclusive, with limited opportunities for people of colour to break in,” says Sara Ziff, a former model and founder of the Model Alliance, a non-profit organisation aiming to advance workers’ rights in the fashion industry.
“I think the use of AI to distort racial representation and marginalise actual models of colour reveals this troubling gap between the industry’s declared intentions and their real actions.”
Women of colour, in particular, have long faced higher barriers to entry in modelling and AI could upend some of the gains they have made. Data suggests women are more likely to work in occupations in which the technology could be applied, and are more at risk of displacement than men.
In March 2023, denim brand Levi Strauss & Co announced that it would be testing AI-generated models produced by Amsterdambased company Lalaland.ai to add a wider range of body types and under-represented demographics on its website.
But after receiving a backlash, Levi clarified that it was not pulling back on its plans for live photo shoots, the use of live models or its commitment to working with diverse models.
Spokesmen for Nieman Marcus, H&M, Walmart and Macy’s say their respective companies do not use AI models, although Walmart clarifies that “suppliers may have a different approach to photography they provide for their products but we don’t have that information”.
Nonetheless, companies that generate AI models are finding a demand for the technology, including Lalaland.ai, which was co-founded by Michael Musandu after he was feeling frustrated by the absence of clothing models who looked like him.
“One model does not represent everyone that’s actually shopping and buying a product,” he says. “As a person of colour, I felt this painfully myself.”
Musandu says his product is meant to supplement traditional photo shoots, not replace them. Instead of seeing one model, shoppers could see nine to 12 models using different size filters, which would enrich their shopping experience and help reduce product returns and fashion waste.
The technology is actually creating new jobs, since Lalaland.ai pays humans to train its algorithms, Musandu says.
And if brands “are serious about inclusion efforts, they will continue to hire these models of colour”, he adds.
London-based model Alexsandrah says her digital counterpart has helped her distinguish herself in the fashion industry. In fact, the real-life Alexsandrah has even stood in for a black computer-generated model named Shudu, created by Cameron Wilson, a former fashion photographer turned CEO of The Diigitals, a UK-based digital modelling agency.
Wilson designed Shudu in 2017, described on Instagram as the “The World’s First Digital Supermodel”. But critics at the time accused Wilson of cultural appropriation and digital blackface.
Wilson took the experience as a lesson and transformed The Diigitals to make sure Shudu – who has been booked by Louis Vuitton and BMW – did not take away opportunities but instead opened possibilities for women of colour. Alexsandrah, for instance, has modelled in-person as Shudu for Vogue Australia, and writer Ama Badu came up with Shudu’s backstory and portrays her voice for interviews.
Alexsandrah says she is “extremely proud” of her work with The Diigitals, which created her own AI twin.
“It’s something that even when we are no longer here, the future generations can look back at and be like, ‘These are the pioneers’.”
But for Yve Edmond, a model based in New York who works with major retailers to check the fit of clothing before it is sold to consumers, the rise of AI in fashion modelling feels more insidious.
Edmond worries modelling agencies and companies are taking advantage of models, who are generally independent contractors afforded few labour protections in the US, by using their photos to train AI systems without their consent or compensation.
But with AI regulations absent, it is up to companies to be transparent and ethical about deploying AI technology. And Ziff, the founder of the Model Alliance, likens the current lack of legal protections for fashion workers to “the Wild West”.
Alexsandrah says with ethical use and the right legal regulations, AI might open up doors for more models of colour like herself. She has let her clients know she has an AI replica, and she funnels any inquiries for its use through Wilson, who says any compensation for Alexsandrah’s AI is comparable to what she would make in-person.
Edmond, however, is more of a purist. “We have this amazing Earth that we’re living on. And you have a person of every shade, every height, every size. Why not find that person and compensate that person?”
One model does not represent everyone that’s actually shopping and buying a product
MICHAEL MUSANDU, CO-FOUNDER OF LALALAND.AI