H&M is making AI clones of real models. Some say it’s the future of fashion, others think it’s bad for real people. Here’s what you need to know!
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00:00H&M is betting on AI. They're creating digital clones of their models.
00:04FashionSide, the business of fashion, shared pictures of these AI doppelgangers
00:09and they look super real. How will H&M use them? Social media ads? Short videos? It's not clear yet.
00:15And they're not the first to dip into the technology. Levi's and Mango have already
00:20used not just digital clones but fully AI-generated models and got major backlash.
00:26Why do people hate this idea? Couldn't it be a good thing? But first, how are they created anyway?
00:33H&M's digital clones are based on real models. It'll work something like this. To create the
00:39digital doppelgangers, they take tons of pictures in motion from different angles and in different
00:45lighting. All those images are then used to build a digital version of the model. Now H&M can put
00:51them in any outfit, anytime. Other companies go fully AI, no real models at all. Just upload a
00:59product photo, pick a model and a background and let AI do the rest. With these tools, we could all
01:05quickly create fashion ads that look like real model shoots. Possibilities seem endless. Some
01:10see this as a positive. The appearance of virtual models can easily be tailored to the target
01:17audience. Brands can change body types, skin tones, even ages to help you imagine how clothes
01:23might look on you. AI models have tremendous potential to really talk to the consumer in a
01:29very specific and persuasive way because they can look very similar to themselves, the
01:36consumer in themselves, or a family member, a trusted friend. When it comes to digital clones,
01:43human models might also benefit. They can let their digital clone do the work and therefore need
01:48to travel less, all while still getting paid. So if virtual models are so great, why are people so
01:54upset about them? Well, there are some serious concerns. Companies that offer AI solutions for
02:01fashion labels say they promote diversity. But critics argue that brands should just hire diverse
02:08human models because the people profiting might not be diverse. One example, artist Cameron James
02:14Wilson used AI to create the virtual model Shudu, a black woman. He marketed her to brands and
02:20magazines. But Wilson himself is a white man. Many people weren't happy about that. Also, AI-generated
02:28models might alienate us as consumers. I think very soon, if not right now, we as consumers feel
02:36really frustrated because we're not sure that that image, that video, that recording of a voice
02:44is actually authentic. It's almost impossible to discern what is real and what is fake,
02:51at least for the average consumer. H&M says they label it whenever they use AI to create something.
02:57Social media companies have been trying to establish a standard for AI labels for a while now,
03:02but without real success. Lastly, there's questions of copyright and consent. Companies
03:08creating AI fashion models train their programs using photos from the internet, including real
03:14models' faces. Were they asked? Were they paid? Probably not. And even if it's a digital clone,
03:21who owns the rights to use it? The model, the brand, or the agency that built it? H&M says
03:28they'll do it the right way. The fashion giant said the models themselves would own their digital
03:34clones. They get paid every time their AI twin is used and that they could potentially also use it
03:40to work for other brands. Workers' rights group Model Alliance said that this must be reinforced
03:46with meaningful protections. New York, for example, recently passed a bill aimed at protecting models.
03:52It also includes guidelines on digital replicas. Model Alliance also warns that even if the models
03:58themselves are fairly paid, there's lots of other workers who might lose their jobs.
04:03Set designers, stylists, or makeup artists. What do you think about digital models? Let us know.