Double take Fashion industry dismay as H&M to start using AI models

The impact of AI has been felt across industries from Hollywood to publishing – and now it's come for modelling.

- Lauren Cochrane

H&M announced last week that it would create AI "twins" of 30 models with the intention of using them in social media posts and marketing imagery if the model gives her permission.

Jörgen Andersson, the chief creative officer at H&M, described the idea as "something that will enhance our creative process and how we work with marketing but fundamentally not change our human-centric approach in any way".

The retail giant has worked with successful models including Vilma Sjöberg and Mathilda Gvarliani, who model for brands including Vogue and Chanel.

As part of the agreement, each model would be able to book her twin on shoots for other brands – meaning they could, in image anyway, be in two places at the same time.

Speaking to The Business of Fashion, Gvarliani described her replica as "like me, without the jet-lag". Images of the AI and human, side by side, look scarily alike.

The news has been greeted with dismay by the wider industry, which fears this could be the start of a shift. It mirrors the concerns of Hollywood workers who went on strike in 2023 over the use of AI in film and TV. This is not the first time a major fashion company has explored AI models – Levi's and Hugo Boss have also experimented with the technology.