Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M is having digital twins created this year, initially of 30 different models, reports trade magazine Business of Fashion. The company is working directly with the models and their agencies. The digital doppelgangers produced by technology partner Uncut will be used for postings on social media and for AI-generated advertising campaigns.
H&M explains that all rights to use the replicas remain with the natural persons. They could also use them for other brand campaigns at any time, even if these were placed by competitors of the fashion giant. The model could also decide whether H&M could use the digital twin for a campaign in return for payment.
So far, the industry’s reactions to AI-generated advertising have been ambivalent. On the one hand, the technology offers fascinating possibilities; on the other hand, critics fear that it will destroy sources of income and many jobs. This doesn’t just affect the models themselves, but everyone involved in the production of advertising campaigns, such as photographers, hair stylists and make-up artists. H&M admits that it cannot yet foresee all the possible effects of the move.
H&M is aiming for a pioneering role
AI-supported advertising usually features fully computer-generated personas. H&M is deliberately taking a different approach with digital twins of real models. The company will use watermarks to indicate that these are AI-generated images. This transparency shall help determine consumer reactions. The digital twin is also not intended to replace the real person, but merely to complement them.
The company is aware that not everyone will be happy about the development. Business of Fashion quotes Jörgen Andersson, Chief Creative Officer at H&M: “People will be divided: Is this good? Is this bad?”. But he is convinced that AI will come either way. Ignoring this development would not help anyone. As a major player in the industry, H&M wants to take on a pioneering role, while considering the interests of models and agencies as well as the fashion industry. The aim is to use the technology in advertising without unsettling those involved or consumers.
AI creates a perfect image
To create a digital twin, H&M must take countless photos of the model, from different angles, with different lighting, in a variety of poses and in motion. An accurate image can only be created once all the person’s special features, including birthmarks and typical movement patterns, have been captured. The company uses technology from the Swedish provider Uncut for this purpose.
The results should look deceptively real. Model Vilma Sjöberg reported that not even her boyfriend could tell the difference between a real photo and an AI-generated image.
