Latest news with #JörgenAndersson
Business Post
24-05-2025
- Business
- Business Post
Alice O'Leary
Fashion giant H&M made waves recently when it announced that it will use AI-created digital clones of real-life models in its marketing campaigns and social media posts. The Swedish retailer revealed plans to create digital 'twins' of 30 models using artificial intelligence (AI) with their consent. These twins will be featured in advertisements for the brand, offering what H&M describes as a new frontier in creative expression. In a statement to Connected, Jörgen Andersson, H&M's chief creative officer, championed the initiative and insisted that the company's use of AI would not change the brand's 'human-centric approach'. 'Creativity and being radically curious have always defined who we are at H&M,' he added in a Linkedin post. 'Now, we're exploring new territory — generative AI — and discovering how technology can unlock new ways to showcase our design in innovative ways. 'The opportunities are almost endless. We can explore and enhance creativity which benefits us and the entire industry,' Andersson added. But the 'entire industry' does not share the same optimistic sentiment. Many experts are concerned that digital cloning could negatively disrupt the fashion industry, with job displacement, ethical boundaries, and the misuse of personal data all cited as concerns. Niamh O'Donoghue, global head of social media at luxury brand Stella McCartney, voiced reservations about digital twinning — especially from an ethical standpoint. She stresses the importance of implementing clear rules surrounding consent and control. 'It's no matter if you give consent for your image to be used on the internet,' O'Donoghue says. 'There's only a certain level of control you have before it appears on unwanted websites or in unwanted campaigns.' 'What does the longevity look like if a model consents to their image being used — is that forever? Can they revoke that permission after a period of time?' she asks. 'Can their image be used long after they have left the industry, even after they have died?' It is a valid concern. Intellectual property (IP) in the context of AI raises complex questions in regard to ownership and protection — particularly when that intellectual property is a digital version of a real person. 'I'm sure H&M have thought about the lifecycle of how these images appear, but I'm sceptical to think that they've thought about the full ecosystem of how that image is protected,' O'Donoghue says. Tangible threat Beyond digital risks, the social media head sees a very tangible threat to the fashion industry's workforce. 'It would almost be washing teams completely clear — from the digital experts, right through to the runners and the camera crews,' she says. 'When you see the amount of jobs that the fashion industry provides, it is stark to think that all of that could be gone in 50 years' time if more fashion-houses decide to go down the AI or clone route,' she adds. Paula Marie Kilgariff is a circular fashion tech entrepreneur and a lecturer in fashion business and digital transformation at Technological University Dublin (TUD). The digital fashion expert views cloning of this nature as a positive force for the fashion industry — but one that is far from new. 'It's a thing, it's happening. It's been around,' she says. However, Kilgariff does not shy away from acknowledging potential downsides of this emerging use of AI in fashion. 'Major disruption is going to happen, and people will lose their jobs,' she says. 'AI will take over. Fashion buying? Redundant. Styling? Redundant. 'But remember that quote, '87 million jobs will be replaced by AI, but 93 million will be created'?' she adds. O'Donoghue echoed a similar sentiment, expressing cautious optimism about the possibility of a new jobs being created within the fashion industry. 'It could create new types of roles, like digital modelling consultants, or take traditional roles and give them a digital twist,' she says. 'The idea of opening up a new industry is quite exciting, but how does that live in situ with traditional routes?' Of course, the use of AI across industries in 2025 is not surprising, but H&M's latest move ventures beyond avatar lookalikes and creates something far more intimate: a digital extension of a real person. Kilgariff points to Colonii, an Irish digital fashion avatar company that develops IP avatars for use in social commerce, gaming experiences and influencer marketing. Colonii's avatars are entirely fictional and detached from real people or identities — an important distinction in the ongoing conversation about IP and data privacy. Aileen Carville, chief executive and co-founder of Colonii, says that unlike many AI creations that mirror human characteristics, the brand 'never set out to disrupt the model industry'. 'My co-founder and I have both worked in the fashion industry for very long time,' she says. 'I have cast models myself for years for Fashion Week in London and Paris... we are not competing or displacing an existing model industry.' While acknowledging the cost-saving potential of using AI models in fashion, Carville warns of the potential for them to sidestep critical privacy and consent protocols. 'It's an incredibly valuable tool in the creative process, but you can't rely on it 100 per cent' 'There's so many layers of circulation that you have to sign off, whether the model is going to be used for an event, if the model is going to be used in printed or digital media… so when you introduce AI models, it kind of bypasses some of those processes.' Ultimately, Carville is confident that AI is 'here to stay — it's not going anywhere'. 'It's an incredibly valuable tool in the creative process, but you can't rely on it 100 per cent,' she adds. Looking to the future, the question remains whether H&M's move into digital clones is a genuine step forward for the fashion industry — or just a passing trend. For stylist and creative director O'Donoghue, the concept still feels 'a bit gimmicky'. 'I think the industry still places a lot of onus on personalisation and personal touch — a computer can only do so much,' she says. 'I think to have a set of human eyes, bringing a vision to life, is ultimately what storytelling and the fashion industry is all about.'
The Guardian
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Calling all fashion models … now AI is coming for you
The impact of AI has been felt across industries from Hollywood to publishing – and now it's come for modelling. H&M announced last week that it would create AI 'twins' of 30 models with the intention of using them in social media posts and marketing imagery if the model gives her permission. In a statement, Jörgen Andersson, the chief creative officer at H&M, described the idea as 'something that will enhance our creative process and how we work with marketing but fundamentally not change our human-centric approach in any way'. The retail giant has worked with successful models including Vilma Sjöberg and Mathilda Gvarliani, who model for Vogue and brands including Chanel. As part of the agreement, each model would be able book her twin on shoots for other brands – meaning they could, in image anyway, be in two places at the same time. Speaking to The Business of Fashion, Gvarliani described her replica as 'like me, without the jet-lag'. Images of AI and human, side by side, look scarily lifelike. The news has been greeted with dismay by the wider industry, which fears this could be the start of a shift. It mirrors the concerns of Hollywood workers who went on strike in 2023 over the use of AI in film and TV. This is not the first time a major fashion company has explored AI models – Levis and Hugo Boss have also experimented with the technology. Bectu, the union that represents the creative industries, explained the concerns. 'Even if models are compensated for the use of their image, it is hard to see how using technology will not have a significant detriment to other fashion creatives and industry workers, from make-up and hair, to rigging and lights,' said the head of the union, Philippa Childs. A survey found that 54% of Bectu workers believed AI would have a negative impact on the fashion industry. Those advocating for models have also raised concerns. Sara Ziff, the founder of Model Alliance, says: 'There are a lot of open questions, and one of them is about compensation. What does fair compensation for a digital twin look like?' H&M has said each model would be paid when their twin was used, with the fee negotiated with their agency. In 2020, the model and founder of technology education company WAYE, Sinead Bovell, wrote an article in Vogue titled 'I Am a Model and I Know That Artificial Intelligence Will Eventually Take My Job'. She raises the issue of the lack of regulation. 'If a model gives their consent to use their likeness somewhere, it can enhance the actual AI model, the data centre that the company uses, which could accelerate automation,' she says. 'There's all these nuanced ways that models may get even more exploited.' Guard rails are being built. The Model Alliance's Fashion Workers' Act comes into law in June – a piece of legislation which requires consent from models for AI usage, when working with agencies based in the state. 'It couldn't be more timely,' says Ziff. 'With H&M's announcement, it gives a lot of other industry players licence to move forward in a way that could be very reckless and damaging.' In addition to this, the AI Act will be introduced in the EU in 2026, requiring AI images to be labelled as such (H&M said it would use a watermark on images featuring AI). Ziff is clear that she is not 'anti-tech' and there are big players in fashion who have embraced advances in technology. The former Harpers Bazaar editor Lucy Yeomans founded Drest in 2019, a game that allows players to dress up avatars in designer brands. However, the use of AI is limited. 'It would be lovely if AI could create all the looks,' says Yeomans, 'but if JW Anderson decides he is going to put a belt halfway down the skirt, AI says: 'Belts don't go halfway down skirts'.' High-profile models such as Sjöberg and Gvarliani will likely be compensated well – casting agent Chloe Rosolek estimates they would be paid 'millions' – but AI is likely to directly threaten models who more typically feature in e-commerce shoots that showcase products on brands' websites. 'Most models have had to deal with job loss already and this is a whole other frightening thing for them,' says Rosolek. Ingo Nolden, who is Gvarliani's agent in Germany, agrees: 'There is the erosion of human work especially at the entry level,' he says. He had negotiated a deal for an AI version of a model he works with in 2023, only to back out 'because I felt it was giving the licence out to a third party I have no control of'. Lalaland AI creates AI models, and has clients including Zalando and Levis. Michael Musandu, the founder, says the technology allows consumers to see a more diverse 'casting' when they look at a website. 'As a person of colour, I never got to see models that represented this diversity or inclusion perspective,' he says. He argues the amount of shoots that big brands produce means it would be difficult to implement this change using real models. AI is not always a tool for inclusivity, of course – in 2023, Shereen Wu, a Taiwanese-American model posted on social media that her image had been changed so she looked white. While Musandu says criticism of AI models is 'warranted', he downplays its impact. 'Brands are going to continue to use real models,' he says. 'This is supplementing … there is a cost-saving element, you can produce this content at a much more affordable price.' Rosolek describes H&M's AI shoots as 'another capitalistic approach to cut people, to cut their costs and increase their profits'. Profit may be on the company's mind. In financial results for the first quarter of 2025, they missed expected growth, with Reuters describing its start to the year as 'sluggish'. An H&M spokesperson responded to concerns with the following statement: 'While we understand that this will spark opinions, discussions, and uncertainty, we are humble in acknowledging that we do not hold all the answers at this point. 'We will continue to explore with other creatives within the industry to see what generative AI can bring to any creative process, while ensuring we maintain our human-centric approach.' Rosolek hopes the development 'is a massive flop' with consumers. 'Models make an image incredible and I don't think that can be replicated through AI,' she says. Yeomans agrees. 'If you think of someone like [photographer] Steven Meisel, he was always discovering that next model, and everyone would ask, 'Oh my gosh, is that beautiful?' 'Oh yes, it is beautiful',' she says. 'I'm not sure whether AI will be able to look around the corner and predict what might be next.'
BBC News
27-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
H&M to use digital clones of models in ads and social media
Fashion retailer H&M is to use artificial intelligence (AI) to create digital "twins" of 30 says it will use the AI doppelgangers in some social media posts and marketing in the place of humans, if given permission by 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," said its chief creative officer Jörgen Andersson in a H&M's claim it would not change its "human-centric approach" some fear the move could impact other models, photographers and make-up artists. American influencer Morgan Riddle called H&M's move "shameful" in a post on her Instagram stories."RIP to all the other jobs on shoot sets that this will take away," she posted. Watermarks and signposting The initiative was first reported by industry publication Business of Fashion.H&M told the outlet that models would retain rights over their digital replicas and their use by the company and other brands for purposes such as images are likely to be initially used in social media posts, with watermarks that make their AI use clear, it like Instagram and TikTok require users to disclose the use of AI to create realistic content, and it is labelled as such to inform audiences.H&M also said models would be compensated for use of their digital twins in a similar way to current arrangements - which sees them paid for use of their images based on rates agreed by their firms including Hugo Boss and Levi Strauss & Co have also dabbled in using generative AI for product giant Levi's said in 2023 it would trial the use of AI-generated model images as a way to "increase diversity".Following criticism, it clarified it would not scale back live photoshoots with models. What is AI, how does it work and what are the concerns about it?Generative AI can create photo-realistic images in response to simple text prompts at high speed and low of this, it has been seized upon by many industries and firms as a way to meet demands for content such as marketing its use by fashion and beauty brands has sparked backlash amid concerns its increased adoption could reduce job fear it may lead to less work for production staff on photoshoots, including photographers, stylists, make-up artists and lighting company says it is working with Swedish tech firm Uncut on the development of model's AI says on its website it is "helping big brands say goodbye to outdated production methods" and making content creation "simpler, smarter and more affordable".For some models, however, having a so-called "AI twin" can allow them to take on more work and avoid travel."She's like me, without the jet-lag," said model Mathilda Gvarliani in a H&M image shared with Business of Fashion.
