Levi’s made known that it wants to use AI to automatically generate photos of models with greater diversity. The jeans manufacturer announced a collaboration with the Amsterdam AI company for this Lalaland On. That announcement led to many critical reactions on social media.
Critics felt that it would be better for diversity to give human models more work instead of having them generated by the computer. “Levi’s use of AI to generate more diverse models rather than employing more diverse real people is exactly the kind of nonsense you’d expect from this industry,” thus the British trade union organizer Thom Binding.
Also brand expert Lisa Barone denounced the message of Levi’s plan. “Instead of creating real opportunities for minorities, we use AI to show people who don’t exist at all,” she interpreted the announcement.
Last year, Levi’s laid off 700 people in a major cutback. The company may also hope to save money by using AI.
Levi’s backs down
Levi’s has now further explained the collaboration with Lalaland in an update. “We do not see this project as a way to promote diversity or as a substitute for real action to achieve our goals of diversity, equality and inclusion, nor should it have been presented as such.”
The company says it is experimenting with AI to improve “the consumer experience”. “It can help us show more images of our products on a range of different body types more quickly.” The partnership with Lalaland could give consumers a better idea of what a particular product looks like, Levi’s said. “But it should not have been confused with the commitment or strategy to diversity, equity and inclusion.”
Levi’s promises it won’t cut back on photo shoots with real models. “Telling authentic stories has always been part of how we connect with our fans and human models and collaborators are at the heart of that experience.”
