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AI-generated models have the potential to increase or decrease diversity in the fashion business

Model based in London Contrary to popular belief, Alexsandrah has a twin: Her opposite is not formed of flesh and blood, but rather of pixels, ABC News reported.

Artificial intelligence was used to create the virtual twin, who has already been used in a picture shoot as a stand-in for the real Alexsandrah. Like a human model, Alexsandrah, who goes by her first name in the workplace, is credited and paid each time the AI version of herself is utilized.

According to Alexsandrah, she and her doppelgänger are alike "even down to the baby hairs." Furthermore, it's another illustration of how AI is changing the creative industries and how humans may or may not get paid.

Advocates claim that the increasing application of AI to fashion modeling highlights diversity in all forms and sizes, enabling customers to make more individualized purchasing selections and minimizing fashion waste from returned goods. Additionally, digital modeling helps businesses save money and opens doors for those who wish to work in the technology industry.

However, some express worry that the use of computer models could drive out real models as well as other industry workers like makeup artists and photographers. It is also possible to deceive consumers into believing that AI models are real, and for businesses to take credit for meeting diversity targets without using real workers.

According to Sara Ziff, a former fashion model and the founder of the Model Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing workers' rights in the fashion business, "fashion is exclusive, with limited opportunities for people of color to break in." "I believe this alarming discrepancy between the industry's stated intentions and their actual actions is revealed by the use of AI to distort racial representation and marginalize actual models of color."

AI has the potential to reverse some of the progress made by women of color, who have historically faced greater entry obstacles in the modeling industry. According to data, women are more likely than males to work in professions where technology may be used, and they also face a higher chance of being replaced.

In order to include a greater variety of body shapes and underrepresented demographics on its website, renowned denim maker Levi Strauss & Co. announced in March 2023 that it would be testing AI-generated models created by Amsterdam-based business Lalaland.ai. However, Levi responded to the intense criticism by saying that it was not abandoning its intentions to do live photo shoots, to use live models, or to continue using a diverse pool of models.

"This AI pilot should not have been portrayed as a means to advance diversity or as a substitute for the real action that must be taken to deliver on our diversity, equity, and inclusion goals," Levi stated at the time. /BGNES

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