Computer-generated inclusivity: fashion turns to ‘diverse’ AI models

Fashion brands including Levi's and Calvin Klein are having custom AI models created to supplement' representation in size, skin tone and age

The star of Levi's new campaign looks like any other model. Her tousled hair hangs over her shoulders as she gazes into the camera with that far-off high-fashion stare. But look closer, and something starts to seem a little off. The shadow between her chin and neck looks muddled, like a bad attempt at using FaceTune's eraser effect to hide a double chin. Her French-manicured fingernails appear scrubbed clean and uniform in a creepy real doll kind of way.

The model is AI-generated, a digital rendering of a human being that will start appearing on Levi's e-commerce website later this year. The brand teamed with LaLaLand.ai, a digital studio that makes customized AI models for companies like Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, to dream up this avatar.