Famous clothing brand fired 30 models and replaced them with AI

International clothing brand H&M has announced plans to create digital "clones" of 30 models using AI. The company plans to use them in some marketing materials and social media posts with the prior consent of the models themselves.

The BBC writes about it.

Can AI replace models?

"We are curious to explore how to showcase our fashion in new creative ways — and embrace the benefits of new technology — while staying true to our commitment to personal style," H&M Creative Director Jörgen Andersson said in the official statement.

Despite H&M's assurances to maintain a "human-centric approach", some experts and industry workers see this move as a risk to traditional photo shoots. Fashion photographers, stylists, makeup artists, and other professionals may be at risk of losing their jobs.

The American influencer Morgan Riddle called the company's move shameful, noting on her Instagram page that it would put an end to a large number of jobs on the set.

According to H&M, the initiative means that models will receive the rights to their digital doubles and will be able to give permission or prohibit the use of their images both in H&M and other brands. In addition, the company plans to put watermarks or special marks on the images so that consumers understand that they are looking at AI-generated content.

Some social media platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, have introduced a similar policy: they require warning the audience about the use of AI to create photorealistic images.

H&M stated that models will be compensated for the use of their digital lookalikes in the same way as they are now — payment will be made according to the rates agreed through their agents.

Paul W. Fleming, Secretary General of the British trade union Equity, emphasizes that models should have full control over their own image and the right to fair payment for their use.

Other industry giants, including Hugo Boss and Levi Strauss & Co., have already conducted similar experiments with AI.

In 2023, Levi's announced the testing of generative AI to create photos of models, explaining that it wanted to increase diversity in advertising campaigns. However, after a wave of criticism, the company clarified that it does not plan to reduce the number of shoots with real people.

As a reminder, Google has introduced new AI features in Gemini Live. The chatbot can now answer queries in real time by looking through the camera or screen of a user's smartphone.

We also wrote that Google is going to develop AI to create drugs. It will help understand the structure of chemical compounds, molecules, and proteins.