Latest news with #ModelAlliance
New York Times
28-03-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Look Again: That H&M Model Showing Off a New Look May Be a Digital Clone
In two photographs taken for the fashion retailer H&M, the model Mathilda Gvarliani is seen posing in a white tank top and jeans. The images look like takes from the same shoot, but one of the photos shows the real Ms. Gvarliani, and the other is an artificially manipulated image of her. Published this week in The Business of Fashion, an industry news outlet, one of the images shows Ms. Gvarliani clutching the waistband of her jeans, and the other shows her 'digital twin' with her arms crossed and staring into the camera. Across the two images reads a quote by Ms. Gvarliani: 'She's like me, without the jet lag.' Ms. Gvarliani is one of more than two dozen models that H&M is working with this year to create digital replicas for use on the company's social media platforms and in its marketing campaigns, the publication reported. H&M, a Swedish retailer, is the latest company to pursue a trend that has unsettled some fashion industry insiders. As the use of images generated by artificial intelligence spreads, critics have raised concerns about the impact on models and other independent contractors, such as hair stylists and makeup artists, who are part of the labor force that makes a photo shoot happen. The company is in the exploratory phase of the project, said Hacan Andersson, a spokesman for H&M. 'We are merely exploring what is possible, and we are doing so in close collaboration with other creatives within the industry, agencies and the models themselves — who are in full control of when the 'digital twin' would be used, and will of course get paid when it is being used,' he said. Jorgen Andersson, the chief creative officer of H&M, said that the company would retain a 'human-centric approach' in its use of the technology. H&M was '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,' he said in an emailed statement on Thursday. The Fashion Workers Act, a new law that takes effect in June in New York State is expected to address some of the concerns about the use of A.I. by providing protections to models, including requiring pay transparency and control over digital replicas. State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, a co-sponsor of the bill, said the labor law would 'protect fashion models from being financially abused and having their images used without their consent.' Other states and some European countries have laws pertaining to the rights of individuals over their digital replicas, but the New York law is specifically geared toward models. Some models have complained about discovering unknown faces photoshopped onto their bodies, or of not having control of their finances. 'I think part of what's striking about the H&M digital-twin campaign is that the digital representation of the model is indistinguishable,' Sara Ziff, a former model and the founder of the Model Alliance, an advocacy group, said on Friday. 'It really raises questions about consent and compensation and also has the potential to replace a host of fashion workers.' The alliance, which provided input for the law in New York, said that there have been cases where models have had their generative A.I. images used without their knowledge or consent, and without receiving compensation. The new law says that modeling agencies cannot have the power of attorney over a digital replica, and must get a model's written consent for how it is used and remunerated. A.I.-generated models are generally either fictitious representations of human models or digital replicas, which are images of real people repurposed by the technology, such as the H&M 'digital twins.' The use of these digital forms in the lucrative fashion industry has been developing for years, as global retailers try to balance brand appeal with transparency and costs. In 2011, H&M superimposed the heads of real models onto computer-generated mannequins for an online swimwear campaign. In 2023, the denim brand Levi Strauss said that it was going to use A.I. technology to publish more images of a range of body types, but added that it would not be scaling back on the use of live models. Last year, the fashion brand Mango unveiled a campaign for a teen line of clothing, using A.I. technology that Jordi Alex, its chief information technology officer, said in an announcement 'will either make us more human or it won't.' In its newsletter this week, the Model Alliance said that it was evaluating the H&M plan, which includes examples of other models next to their digital clones while featuring upbeat quotes, like the one attributed to Ms. Gvarliani about her digital twin being a version of her. 'Finally a way for me to be in New York and Tokyo on the same day,' the model Yar Aguer was quoted as saying while paired alongside her digital twin. Asked on Friday whether the models had really said those words, an H&M spokesman said: 'I can confirm they are real quotes from the models.'
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fashion giant H&M plans to use AI clones of its human models. Not everyone is happy
Fashion giant H&M plans to create digital clones of its models this year, raising more questions for an industry grappling with both the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on workers. H&M, one of the world's largest clothing retailers, told CNN it plans to create 30 'digital twins' of its models this year, though it is still 'exploring' how these avatars will be used. It added that it is working with others in the industry, like agencies and the models themselves, to carry out this initiative in 'a responsible way.' The models would own the rights to their digital twin, 'potentially work for any brand and get paid on each occasion just like on any campaign production,' the company said. While this pledge to pay models for their likeness was welcomed by Paul W. Fleming, general secretary for the UK's performing arts and entertainment trade union Equity, he told CNN in a statement that it must be 'backed up by the widespread adoption of AI protections in union agreements and legislation that protects workers' right,' of which he said few exist. 'The race to 'innovate' in the area of artificial intelligence must also not be a race to the bottom to increase profits,' he added. 'Artificial intelligence would not be possible without human artistry and labour, and humans should remain at the centre of creative endeavours.' H&M's announcement has already sparked some backlash within the fashion industry, where the careers of many workers are already precarious. Sara Ziff, a model turned labor activist who founded the New York-based non-profit organization Model Alliance, said she had 'serious concerns about the use of digital replicas without meaningful protections in place.' 'In an industry that has historically been a backwater for workers' rights, H&M's new initiative raises critical questions about consent and compensation, and has the potential to replace a host of fashion workers—including make-up artists, hair stylists, and other creative artists in our community,' Ziff said in a statement released by the Model Alliance. H&M is not the first brand to explore using these technologies. Jeans-maker Levi Strauss & Co. announced in March 2023 that it would use AI-generated models to 'supplement human models.' It later clarified that 'we are not scaling back our plans for live photo shoots,' after intense criticism. In July last year, Spanish brand Mango launched a campaign generated entirely by AI to promote a new collection of its youth range. Meanwhile, influencers and models created by AI are becoming increasingly common; there was even the world's first-ever AI beauty pageant last year.
CNN
28-03-2025
- Business
- CNN
Fashion giant H&M plans to use AI clones of its models. Not everyone is happy
Fashion giant H&M plans to create digital clones of its models this year, raising more questions for an industry grappling with both the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on workers. H&M, one of the world's largest clothing retailers, told CNN it plans to create 30 'digital twins' of its models this year, though it is still 'exploring' how these avatars will be used. It added that it is working with others in the industry, like agencies and the models themselves, to carry out this initiative in 'a responsible way.' The models would own the rights to their digital twin, 'potentially work for any brand and get paid on each occasion just like on any campaign production,' the company said. While this pledge to pay models for their likeness was welcomed by Paul W. Fleming, general secretary for the UK's performing arts and entertainment trade union Equity, he told CNN in a statement that it must be 'backed up by the widespread adoption of AI protections in union agreements and legislation that protects workers' right,' of which he said few exist. 'The race to 'innovate' in the area of artificial intelligence must also not be a race to the bottom to increase profits,' he added. 'Artificial intelligence would not be possible without human artistry and labour, and humans should remain at the centre of creative endeavours.' H&M's announcement has already sparked some backlash within the fashion industry, where the careers of many workers are already precarious. Sara Ziff, a model turned labor activist who founded the New York-based non-profit organization Model Alliance, said she had 'serious concerns about the use of digital replicas without meaningful protections in place.' 'In an industry that has historically been a backwater for workers' rights, H&M's new initiative raises critical questions about consent and compensation, and has the potential to replace a host of fashion workers—including make-up artists, hair stylists, and other creative artists in our community,' Ziff said in a statement released by the Model Alliance. H&M is not the first brand to explore using these technologies. Jeans-maker Levi Strauss & Co. announced in March 2023 that it would use AI-generated models to 'supplement human models.' It later clarified that 'we are not scaling back our plans for live photo shoots,' after intense criticism. In July last year, Spanish brand Mango launched a campaign generated entirely by AI to promote a new collection of its youth range. Meanwhile, influencers and models created by AI are becoming increasingly common; there was even the world's first-ever AI beauty pageant last year.
