Fashion models reckon with AI models and digital clones after controversial ad appears in Vogue

By Queenie Wong Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES Fashion model Hannah James faced a dilemma as she weighed whether to digitally clone herself On one hand the -year-old worries digital replicas of models could render her job obsolete On the other hand the Los Angeles model wants to get ahead of artificial intelligence and use it to potentially make more money before it s too late She partnered this year with Kartel ai a Beverly Hills startup that s building a platform for brands and businesses to license the likenesses of models for a fee Kartel ai helps models create digital replicas of themselves that can be hired for advertising campaigns It s crazy to see what they can create in hours noted James who has modeled for a decade It s beautiful but at the same time it s scary Hannah James in an undated image Danielle Black- PR TNS Models like James are contending with how to retain control over their careers as the rise of AI-powered tools that can fast generate images and videos alters the creative process Advancements in AI have made it easier to generate digital clones of models or virtual people who don t exist in real life Unlike real people AI models and digital clones don t get sick or deal with bad-skin days AI models can be in various places at the same time and they don t need a break as campaigns try different shots locations and products Applying generative AI the kind of tool used by ChatGPT to generate and manipulate fashion shoots and other images has been taking off this year sparking debate about whether AI will take away jobs in an industry already rife with concerns about financial exploitation Particular of the brands experimenting with AI models have faced backlash from consumers concerned about job displacement and unrealistic beauty standards In the August issue of Vogue widely considered a fashion bible Los Angeles brand Guess had an ad featuring a curvy blond AI model in a light blue floral romper Swedish fast fashion retailer H M showcased the digital twins of several of its models in July While the brands received attention for using cutting-edge tool and innovation they also faced criticism Innovation is definitely reshaping the modeling industry and it s doing so by introducing synthetic models that threaten jobs and by digitizing real people often without clear standards for consent or compensation announced Sara Ziff founder and executive director of the Model Alliance a nonprofit in New York that advocates for workers rights in the fashion industry A great number of models aren t unionized because they re often independent contractors While the job appears glamorous models deal with myriad challenges including late payments financial debt eating disorders and sexual harassment Ziff declared H M declined to comment Guess didn t respond to requests for comment Related Articles Book authors settle copyright lawsuit with AI company Anthropic Melania Trump invites K- students to participate in nationwide AI challenge contest Scrutiny says AI chatbots need to fix suicide response as family sues over ChatGPT role in boy s death Elon Musk accuses Apple and OpenAI of stifling AI competition in antitrust lawsuit Editorial AI meets fried chicken at Wingstop Los Angeles is a hub for fashion modeling and social media influencers In there were models employed in California with the greater part of those jobs in the Los Angeles metropolitan area including Anaheim and Long Beach according to the U S Bureau of Labor Statistics Nationwide there were an estimated modeling jobs that year The agency projects that employment of models nationwide will remain unchanged from to noting that there are cheaper options on social media or that companies could reuse images of models and products There will still be an estimated job openings for models each year because workers will switch jobs or retire In the median pay for a model was a year or an hour according to the bureau Models are still trying to sort out how to get fairly compensated when brands use their digital likeness and the rates can vary Models may earn less from jobs their digital clones perform compared with booking in-person shoots but they might also be able to complete more jobs without the need to expedition to a location Ben Kusin co-founder of Kartel ai reported the use of AI and digital clones could help brands cut down on the other expenses tied to producing an ad campaign such as booking voyage and employing stylists to do hair and makeup With licensing of AI clones models will still be paid and can choose whether they allow a brand to use their likeness A lot of folks need to re-skill speedily to be able to survive what s the upcoming transition into this new world of AI-generated media he reported Brands still have to tread systematically In Levi s faced criticism after the company commented it was partnering with AI company Lalaland ai to create AI models with a variety of skin tones and body types sparking questions about why they didn t just hire more diverse models Kusin explained he draws the line though at creating models that don t exist in real life as Guess did in its ad campaign Valentina Gonzalez and Andreea-Laura Petrescu who founded the AI marketing agency Seraphinne Vallora which worked with Guess stated they re not trying to destroy the modeling industry We re not looking to replace anybody We re looking to supplement the industry Gonzalez noted Just like any other industry you open new avenues of marketing People have the choice The firm which has Instagram followers created entirely new models based on Guess aesthetic It also offers other services including enabling models to digitally clone themselves Videos of chosen of the AI models featured on their Instagram account have racked up more than million views The duo who met as students studying architecture pointed out there s still a design process they go through to create AI models It involves taking photos of real clothing and models and placing those images in a database They envision a future where human models their digital clones and thoroughly AI-generated models coexist Boutique modeling agencies such as Otto Models in Newport Beach are concerned it will become even tougher for models who have to work hard to maintain their look to compete against virtual people We re getting into the realm of replacing models with these AI virtual people mentioned Tereza Otto who co-founded and runs the agency That won t bode well for our business because there s a certain human purity to having an actual model do a campaign As for James there still will be in-person photo shoots that she believes AI won t be able to replicate It s crucial to have a vibe on set with who you re working with she reported Los Angeles Times Visit at latimes com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC