AI has gone from a backstage helper to a full-fledged headliner—blurring the lines between human and machine in fashion, art, and beyond. It has been nibbling at the edges of the creative world for a while—popping up in photo-editing software, helping with layout designs, suggesting color palettes, and probably judging our font choices in secret. But recently, it has stepped firmly into the spotlight, and its impact on modeling, art, and photography is making many people uneasy. Think of it like an over-enthusiastic intern who shows up on day one with a full slate of ideas, except this intern never clocks out, never forgets your coffee order, and doesn’t need a lunch break.
The H&M Leap Into AI
One of the most striking examples comes from H&M, the Swedish fast-fashion powerhouse that has decided to create “digital twins” of 30 real models. The idea is that these hyper-realistic avatars can be dropped into campaigns, e-commerce pages, and social feeds with just a few clicks. Model Vilma Sjöberg—one of the first to undergo this process—admits she was startled by how convincing her digital double was. In an interview with The Business of Fashion, she said, “It’s a picture of me, but it’s not me. It was interesting how good it actually was.” She also noted, “Even my boyfriend couldn’t tell the difference between a picture of the real me and the one created by AI.” That alone says a lot about how advanced this technology has become.
To be fair, H&M acknowledges some of the ethical questions that come with it. They promise to pay models for any AI usage of their likeness. But good intentions only go so far—especially when that polite handshake might eventually be replaced by a digital high-five from a pixelated manager whose only mission is to slash budgets. If this becomes the norm, what happens to makeup artists, stylists, and photographers relying on those shoots for their income?
The Cost-Cutting Temptation
That’s where the stakes really start to show. Photographers and filmmakers—long revered for capturing a fleeting expression or a magical moment—see the oncoming wave of AI as both a handy assistant and a potential executioner of their craft. Why fly a full crew to a dreamy beach at sunset when a neural network can conjure one up at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday? Meanwhile, makeup, hair, and styling teams are left wondering if the creative alchemy they bring to the set can be replicated by an algorithm. Visual artists, who spend hours refining a single design or illustration, now see AI producing entire campaigns in a fraction of the time.
Legislation is scrambling to keep up. In New York, the Fashion Workers Act requires that models grant explicit permission for their digital likenesses. That’s a good start, but it still doesn’t address what happens when global brands jump on the AI bandwagon. Historically, whenever there’s a cheaper way to do something, companies tend to take it—especially in fast fashion, where cost-cutting is practically an Olympic sport. A 2023 Goldman Sachs report predicted AI could affect up to 300 million full-time jobs globally, intensifying fears about what happens when algorithms become cheaper, faster, and (some argue) more “reliable” than human labor.
Pivot or Perish: Surviving AI’s Fashion Invasion
With rules still struggling to catch up, it’s no wonder some in the industry are sounding the alarms. So, is this new wave of AI about to snuff out all human creativity in fashion and beyond? Not necessarily. For starters, AI is great at pulling from what already exists—it learns patterns and styles from existing data but doesn’t really “feel” anything. Real-life shoots can be chaotic; sometimes, the best shot happens when the wind picks up unexpectedly, or a model bursts out laughing at the perfect moment. That spark of spontaneity is something AI can’t truly replicate… unless we meticulously train it to mimic “casual spontaneity,” which sounds about as genuine as a forced laugh at your boss’s joke.
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Some people in the industry see a chance to adapt. Photographers might become AI directors, telling the algorithm what vibe they want and then finessing the results. Makeup and hair pros could shape how digital skin tones or hairstyles are rendered, turning them into specialized digital stylists. In that scenario, AI isn’t destroying creativity; it’s simply changing the tools we use to make it happen.
But let’s not kid ourselves: there’s a real risk of losing the human touch. If cost savings become the priority, we might see fewer sets where creative teams get to experiment and bounce ideas off each other. The magic that arises when people collaborate in person might fade if campaigns can be generated overnight by a neural network. And consumers could get tired of everything looking a bit… samey. After all, AI mostly recycles what it’s seen before.
This is why the phrase “The end of creative work as we know it” looms over the conversation. It might sound dramatic, but it captures the very real fear that an industry fueled by imagination and craft will be replaced by lines of code. Yet, at the same time, every technological leap—photography itself, film, digital editing—has triggered similar anxieties, only to usher in new forms of art and new ways for creatives to thrive. We feared radio would destroy live music; we feared television would rot our brains; now we’re afraid AI will steal our jobs while we sleep. The cycle continues.
Past the Panic: Charting a Human-Centric Path
So what do we do now? We can’t pretend AI isn’t here, but we can shape how it’s used. We can insist on fair pay and transparent contracts for models who lend their faces to AI. We can support photographers, stylists, and visual artists who are learning to use these tools rather than just running from them.
Ultimately, human creativity must stay at the center of the process. Fashion, after all, has always been about drama, spontaneity, and the thrill of the unexpected. If we’re wise, we’ll keep it that way—no matter how sophisticated our digital twins become.
