AI models 'strike a pose' shaking up the fashion world

2024 is already a historic year. For the first time in the history of international beauty pageants, the world has a computer-generated beauty queen.

Virtual influencer Kenza Layli was named the first-ever Miss AI is after beating 1,500 other participants.

The fictional character with a golden hijab was created by Myriam Bessa, the founder and head of the Moroccan AI agency Atelier Digital, and won the World Creator Awards on July 8.

Mango leads the way in AI-generated advertising campaign

Could real-life models soon be history? Even if this question cannot be answered, what is certain is that artificial intelligence (AI) is also revolutionizing the fashion industry.

A look at the Spanish fashion company Mango gives an indication of the future. No real human beings were photographed for the advertising campaign for its Sunset Dream collection. The clothes are real but the models are AI-generated.

This is not the first time the fashion industry has used AI. In early 2023, the jeans icon Levi's hit the headlines with its partnership with Dutch start-up Lalaland.ai, which creates customized AI-generated models for e-commerce. 

"The integration of AI in the fashion industry is proving to be a game-changer,” wrote Max Dewod for the US digital marketing agency ReVerb in May 2024. "The integration of AI in the fashion industry is proving to be a game-changer. Brands like Zara, H&M, Stitch Fix, Nike, Levi's, ASOS, and Burberry are just a few examples of how AI can enhance trend forecasting, personalize shopping experiences, improve customer service, and support sustainable practices."

Dove: 'Real women'

One brand refuses to go with the trend: Dove. In a statement issued in May, the beauty brand, which is owned by British consumer goods company Unilever, promised it would "never use AI imagery in place of real women,” and "never use digital distortion and present the unachievable, manipulated, flawless images of ‘perfect' beauty which the use of retouching tools can promote.”

In a report published by Dove in April entitled "The Real State of Beauty: A Global Report” the findings showed that because of the "perfect" looks of AI models and influencers, real-life girls and young women in particular felt pressured to alter their appearance.

"Globally, half of all women and girls 14 to 17 believe plastic surgery is a way to feel better in their own bodies," the report stated. This was particularly the case in Brazil (69%) and China (56%).

Researchers spoke to around 33,000 people in 20 countries for their report. These included around 14,000 women and 4,000 men aged between 18 and 64, and around 9,500 girls and 4,700 boys aged between 10 and 17.

Men find themselves 'not muscular enough'

Men and boys also feel pressure to change their appearance. The researchers found that "79% of men and 74% of boys feel they aren't muscular enough." 

"Globally, 68% of men and 59% of boys feel pressure to be physically attractive."

The Brazilian activist Beta Boechat, who co-authored the report, told DW that generally people were becoming more dissatisfied with their appearance.

"The more tools are available to change our appearance, the more the pressure grows to physically achieve the digital ideal of beauty in real life," she said.

One of the proofs of this was the global rise in cosmetic surgery that has become easier and more affordable, she explained. "This increases the pressure on people to optimize [their bodies], not only men but women."

Disparity between digital ideals and reality

Helmut Leder, Professor of Empirical Aesthetics in Psychology at the University of Vienna, is also concerned about the pressure arising from the disparity between digital ideals of beauty and real-life appearance.

"This is a very dramatic problem," he told DW. "Artificially generated faces have no skin blemishes, they have perfect proportions and almost all correspond to a general ideal of beauty.

"In a world in which we are not confronted with real people, but with many artificially embellished faces, the individual desire to be attractive and beautiful is enormous."

For the developers of Finnish AI model Milla Sofia, virtual models and influencers are not dramatic, but merely examples of the social transformation triggered by AI. They have attempted to dispel concerns by having their model express herself on her own website.

"For years, social media has been beautified by 'artificial intelligence,' i.e. filters, which are very popular. So the ideal of beauty has been distorted for a long time," her statement reads. "Artificial intelligence only makes it easier to make changes and is, in a way, just one additional step to previous development."

British beauty expert Sally-Ann Fawcett sees the AI revolution in the fashion industry as an opportunity for more female presence. She was on the jury for the Miss AI 2024 beauty pageant.

"In the 70s, the majority of pageants were run and judged by men," she told US Time magazine. "These days, I would say 95% in [the UK] are run by women and judged by women." 

Boechat, on the other hand, fears a setback for the body positivity movement, which has campaigned for decades for the elimination of unrealistic and discriminatory beauty ideals for decades. She told DW that the setback was already noticeable.

"AI has reached society at a sensitive moment,” observed Boechat. ”Aesthetic demands are increasing, and movements against the cult of the body and its power have become weaker.”

Additional reporting by Jakov Leon.

This article was originally written in German.