H&M, one of the global leaders in fast fashion, recently revealed its strategy to integrate “digital twins” — replicas of real models created using artificial intelligence — into its marketing campaigns. While the brand claims that this initiative is a responsible response to the inevitable technological transformations in the industry, promising remuneration for models whose virtual versions are used, the decision has sparked a wave of controversy. Heated reactions on social media and statements from prominent figures in the fashion world reflect deep concerns about job security, the authenticity of the creative process, and the essential role of human presence in the fashion industry.
Involving Models in the Creation of Digital Twins: Empowering or Exploitative?
In an attempt to mitigate these concerns, the brand has decided to directly involve models in the creation of their digital twins, which will be owned and controlled by the models themselves. Each model will have the freedom to choose whether to allow the brand to use their virtual image — for a price, of course — in AI-generated marketing campaigns. However, this access will not be exclusive to H&M. Models will hold full rights to their “digital selves,” enabling them to make their digital twins available to any brand, including competitors. The company aims to create digital twins for 30 models this year, with these virtual replicas likely to be first showcased on social media platforms. To maintain transparency and gauge public reaction, the images will be watermarked as AI-generated.
The Wider Fashion Industry’s Shift Toward AI Integration
Although this move has garnered considerable attention, H&M is merely a part of a larger trend within the industry, where artificial intelligence is steadily gaining ground. From fast fashion to luxury brands, many companies are experimenting with and incorporating AI into their visual marketing. While digital images have quietly appeared in mass-market spaces before, H&M’s decision to embrace the technology publicly marks a new phase: AI is now taking center stage in high-profile and widely visible campaigns. The trend is also evident among high-end labels, with brands such as Coach and Estée Lauder using AI to generate product-focused imagery.
Transparency in the Age of AI: A Treacherous Terrain
While technology advances at a dizzying pace, legislative frameworks remain conspicuously behind. The European Union is attempting to enforce clear regulations on transparency in the use of AI-generated images, but globally, the landscape remains fragmented and uncertain. For brands and consumers, this legislative void raises significant ethical challenges: How can consumers distinguish between what is real and what is artificial when transparency isn’t guaranteed? And for brands, how can they maintain trust in such a volatile climate?
Human Creativity: A Collateral Loss?
With the rise of AI-generated images, not only are traditional jobs at risk, but so is the very essence of collective creativity that once defined the industry. Traditional photo shoots, which served as spaces for intense artistic collaboration between photographers, models, stylists, and creative directors, are at risk of being replaced by solitary, algorithmic processes in which spontaneity and human emotion are difficult to replicate. In an industry that has thrived thanks to human synergies, the loss of this dimension raises serious questions about the future of fashion imagery.
The Intensifying Creative Competition
As AI becomes an increasingly accessible tool, pressure mounts on creatives — both digital and traditional — to innovate more. In a universe where algorithms can endlessly combine existing elements to generate novelty, true innovation is more valuable than ever. In this context, artists, photographers, and visual creators are pushed to experiment more, take greater risks, and discover forms of expression that cannot be digitally replicated. Thus, in a subtle irony, technological advancement forces a return to authenticity and pure creativity — elements that may soon become the most valuable currency in the fashion world.
