Mirella
Savee
How ai is changing the fashion industry:
Overview:
For my class in Rethinking Art Media and Pop Culture, the final project was to put together an essay relating a social issue to the forms of capital I learned about in class.
I wanted to apply the concepts I learned in class to a relevant fashion social issue happening, which is how I picked my topic.
Skills:
Critical Thinking
Theoretical application
Ethical reasoning
intersectional analysis
Media literacy
Analytical writing
pin pointing the problem:
I found a study done by Cornell University, where they interviewed twenty-one models to express their thoughts on AI. Models are at risk for losing their work, whether they speak up or not.
I then found a campaign done by H&M, showing the issues that were talked about in the interview. On the outside of these ads it shows it as an easier way, where in reality it can be legally murky.
is ai helping or stopping diversity?
I then wanted to research counteragruments that AI models are creating.
There is talk about using AI to help with diversifying models. In reality, jobs are being taken away from models, and it is a cheaper way to have diverse models without having to pay for them.
Confusion is apparent, specifically when Vogue's Summer issue showed a white woman with blonde hair, who in reality was an AI model impacting the beauty standards set.
Who is AI taking jobs from?
Although my research is mostly focused on models, I wanted to include the facts of how individuals on photoshoots are losing money and jobs. Makeup artists, photographers, set design and more are equally as important when it comes to creating media.
Takeaways:
In conclusion, I examined how AI is reshaping the modeling industry by exposing major gaps in labor rights, consent, and authentic representation. Although AI increases efficiency, it threatens artistic integrity, economic security, and the human storytelling fashion relies on.