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Will AI-generated Models Replace Human Models In Ad Campaigns?

Written by Tom Ryan
Levi Strauss announced plans to test customized AI-generated models with the goal of multiplying the number and diversity of models that customers can see. The denim giant partnered on the test with LaLaLand.ai, an Amsterdam-based startup that claims to create “hyper-realistic models of every body type, age, size and skin tone.” Currently, shoppers on Levi.com typically only see one model for each product. The AI technology, according to Levi’s, “can potentially assist us by supplementing models and unlocking a future where we can enable customers to see our products on more models that look like themselves, creating a more personal and inclusive shopping experience.” The project supports Levi’s broader diversity, equity and inclusion objectives. “While AI will likely never fully replace human models for us, we are excited for the potential capabilities this may afford us for the consumer experience,” said Said Dr. Amy Gershkoff Bolles, global head of digital & emerging technology strategy at Levi Strauss. Levi’s new partnership goes a step beyond its past virtual fit efforts. The denim giant last year began piloting a feature that lets consumers select their size and see an image of their chosen garment appear on a person similar to their size, height, body shape and/or skin tone. Walmart has experimented with similar virtual fitting solutions. Beyond offering a wider range of diverse models, virtual models could cut costs by reducing the need to hire models and pay for shoots. Canadian model and futurist Sinead Bovell said AI could also offer sustainability benefits, but argues ethical concerns arrive since modeling careers are vulnerable. She told CBC Radio host Elamin Abdelmahmoud on Commotion,"A lot of models have put their entire careers on the line to advocate for a more inclusive world. Are those gains just going to go to a coder somewhere in Silicon Valley?” Pacsun received backlash last year for hiring star virtual influencer Lil Miquela as its spokesperson. One critic tweeted, “They could have chosen a woman in real life to be their ‘female advocate’ but instead chose a CGI personality who is probably run by a team of 10 guys.

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