Does this look like a real woman? AI Vogue model raises concerns about beauty standards

A new kind of model has appeared in the fashion world, and she is not a real person. Instead, she was created by artificial intelligence, or AI. In the August edition of Vogue magazine, a Guess advertisement features a flawless blonde woman modeling a striped dress and a floral playsuit. If you look closely, you will see a small note in the corner saying the model was made using AI. This is the first time an AI-generated person has appeared in Vogue, and it has sparked a lot of debate about what this means for real models and for people who see these ads, especially young people who already struggle with unrealistic beauty standards.

The company behind the AI model is called Seraphinne Vallora, founded by Valentina Gonzalez and Andreea Petrescu, both 25 years old. They met while studying architecture and have been running their company for two years. They say that making an AI model is not as simple as it seems. It takes a team of five people and can take up to a month to go from the first idea to the finished product. For Guess, they created ten different draft models, and the company chose one brunette and one blonde to use in their summer campaign. The founders say they can charge up to low six figures for a project like this.

Not everyone is happy about the use of AI models in fashion. Felicity Hayward, a plus-size model who has worked in the industry for over a decade, says using AI models feels lazy and cheap. She thinks Guess is either trying to get people talking for free publicity or just wants to save money without thinking about the consequences. Felicity is worried that using AI models could undo years of progress toward more diversity in fashion. In the 2010s, the industry started to include more diverse models, like the first openly trans model for Victoria's Secret and the first hijab-wearing model in global campaigns. But Felicity believes things are going backward, and AI models could make it even harder for plus-size and diverse models to get work.

The founders of Seraphinne Vallora say they are not trying to promote narrow beauty standards. They believe their AI models look realistic and are not much different from the supermodels usually seen in ads. However, they admit that most of their AI models look similar and do not show much diversity. They have tried to create AI images of women with different skin tones, but those posts do not get as much attention on Instagram. They also say the technology is not advanced enough yet to create plus-size AI models.

There are concerns that seeing perfect, computer-generated models could harm people's mental health. Vanessa Longley, the CEO of an eating disorder charity, says that being exposed to unrealistic images can make people feel bad about their own bodies and increase the risk of developing eating disorders. The problem is made worse because it is not always clear when an image is AI-generated. In the UK, there is no law that says companies have to label AI content. In the Guess ad, the note saying the model is AI is very small, so many people might not notice.

Some people in the fashion industry think using AI is just a way to cut costs and avoid paying real people. Sara Ziff, a former model and founder of Model Alliance, says that using AI in fashion is less about innovation and more about saving money. She points out that making ads with AI means fewer jobs for real people, like photographers, makeup artists, and set designers. She believes AI could help the industry, but only if there are rules to protect workers.

Seraphinne Vallora says their technology is not meant to replace real models but to give companies another option for marketing their products. They say they have created jobs with their company and that part of making AI models involves hiring real models and photographers to see how the clothes look in real life. However, their website says one of the benefits of using AI is that it saves money by eliminating the need for expensive setups, makeup artists, venue rentals, and travel.

Vogue has faced criticism for including the AI ad in its print edition. Some people say the magazine has lost credibility by allowing it. Sinead Bovell, a former model and tech entrepreneur, says that Vogue is seen as the top authority in fashion, so running the AI ad makes it seem acceptable. She believes there will be more AI-generated models in the future, but not every model will be created by AI. She also thinks that as technology improves, anyone could create their own AI avatar to see how clothes look on them. However, she warns that society might lose interest in AI models if they become too unrealistic and people know they are not real.

The use of AI models in fashion is making people think about what is real and what is not, and how it affects our ideas about beauty. The future of the modeling industry could change a lot if more companies start using AI models instead of real people.