AI in Fashion: For Better or For Worse
Written by Bella Matias
Artificial intelligence is a technological advancement that has grown exponentially in the past few years. Among the most popular uses of AI are the manipulation of audio and video, as well as ChatGPT, a tool that uses AI to generate responses. These innovations make AI more socially prevalent than ever, but this is not without its vices. Nowadays, it is harder than ever to decipher human work from that of a machine or software. One might enjoy Tiktoks that display pictures of lavish interiors and exteriors of homes, only to find out that they are actually AI-generated instead of the work of skilled designers. This begs the question: to what extent should AI be incorporated into the creative process in order to supplement the fashion and design industry? Well, truth be told, there are both pros and cons to using AI in the fashion world.
Streamlining production and manufacturing as well as predicting demand is no easy task, but AI is undoubtedly helping. In fact, a report from Research and Markets projects that the AI industry in fashion will grow from 0.91 billion dollars in 2023 to 3.72 billion dollars in 2027. Evidently, big fashion corporations will spend considerable amounts of money to accurately predict upcoming trends, as well as future demand for certain products. In turn, these predictive models are able to effectively manage the supply chain by ensuring that products are not overproduced, therefore mitigating waste. These advancements seem incredibly beneficial for increasing sustainability in the fashion industry. Yet, there are valid concerns regarding the use of artificial intelligence in an industry that is creatively driven. After all, it's not far-fetched to believe that the use of software may compromise the integrity of an industry that relies so heavily on the intricacies of human skills and design.
Research and Markets’ report also looks into companies that use AI to influence their actual design and fashion choices. The report states that Tommy Hilfiger “applied machine-learning tools for product images of 15,000, and 600,000 publicly available runway images, and almost 100,000 fabric patterns.” From this information, AI was able to predict fashion trends right down to the colors, patterns, fabrics, and even silhouettes. Unsurprisingly, this has been a point of contention among designers, with many skilled workers concerned that their work will become obsolete. There has even been a lawsuit filed against Shein, one of the most lucrative clothing manufacturers, and three designers, Krista Perry, Larissa Martinez, and Jay Baron, claiming that Shein uses AI to steal authentic human design. The lawsuit also describes how Shein collects massive amounts of consumer data for research purposes and subsequently marketing and design purposes.
Ultimately, the use of AI poses many questions regarding the ethics of design in the fashion industry, as well as a threat to the livelihood of designers. For one, AI has largely replaced the manufacturing process of clothing as handmade products are fastly being overtaken by computers and machinery. AI has even diminished the role of fashion marketers as it hones its predictive models, making the skilled judgment and discretion of marketers less necessary. But among the most frightening is AI’s ability to take the beauty and uniqueness of fashion design and reduce it to a science of statistics and numbers, trading creativity for the synthetic and unoriginal. Quite literally, AI has compromised the fabric of the fashion industry. With this being said, AI also has the ability to be used ethically to promote efficiency and sustainability. Like most things in life, it is a trade off. So, what's more important to you?
References:
The Business Research Company. “AI in Fashion Global Market Report 2023.” Research and Markets. March 2023. https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5767217/ai-in-fashion-global-market-report?utm_source=GNOM&utm_medium=PressRelease&utm_code=k2z2nv&utm_campaign=1749199+-+AI+in+Fashion+Global+Market+Report+2022%3a+Machine+Learning+to+Define+Sector%27s+Direction+Moving+Forward&utm_exec=como322prd
Edited by: Annie Stockwell, Melanie Gubernik, Sophia Buckholtz, and Roan Vaughan
DEI Reviewed by: Katherine Rubinstein
