The boom of AI has bled its way into nearly every crevice of a creative’s life. From graphic design artists to musicians, technology rapidly advancing has left many wondering if there’s any place for their innate human brilliance.
With that, models are the next to be confronted by the threat of AI. Recently, H&M announced a creative initiative using AI to create digital “twins” of consenting human models, fitting their identical yet digitized doppelgängers into campaigns. They’ve spoken to this pivot as a way to explore new creative possibilities, reduce production costs and speed up marketing. However, for very real models with very real jobs in jeopardy, this couldn’t be a more terrifying development. It has the potential to impact talent, photographers and various crew members, disregarding its ethical implications.
Rather than watching from the sidelines, many models are fighting back and reclaiming their power. Wilhelmina model Sophia Baltz used her rage as fuel, launching a “Got Real?” campaign to fight the good fight for her fellow creatives. Digital avatars are endlessly customizable and cost-effective, but they’re not real humans.
How Is AI Replacing Models?
You may not even realize how many AI-generated models you’ve been influenced by. They’re being inserted in everything from e-commerce catalogs to high-fashion editorials. There are various programs that can now render consenting human doppelgängers or photorealistic humans wearing any outfit in any pose, meeting every brand guideline without the time and cost of a real shoot. This is obviously enticing to companies looking to save money and reduce logistics, even at the sacrifice of their artistic integrity and ethical obligations.
H&M has been a pioneer in the movement, launching a campaign where real models explain why they’ve signed up to have their own AI twins. “She’s like me without the jet lag,” one model noted. “I’ve always wanted a twin,” added another. Beyond H&M, brands like Levi’s and Zalando have received backlash for testing virtual models to promote their catalog. From casting to production, AI has been incredibly destabilizing. Many working models now face fewer jobs, shorter campaigns, and increased pressure to compete with something that doesn’t eat, age or require payment.
The results are ads that ultimately feel bleak and empty.
“Before I got into modeling, my favorite campaigns were anything that had life and personality in them. I was like, ‘I wanna be a part of that.’ That is what the creative world is supposed to do, to make people feel something,” Baltz told 21Ninety. “It’s important to look at a model and see that they’re having the time of their lives in these clothes. You can tell the difference between a model who really is loving what they’re doing and a model who’s just there, but you can really tell the difference when it’s not even a real person.”
How Are AI Models Impacting Black Models?
Black models have long fought for respect and visibility in an industry that dehumanizes anything outside of Eurocentric beauty standards. For them, the rise of AI modeling is especially daunting. While AI has the power to “diversify” campaigns, that diversity is ultimately soulless and artificial. Instead of hiring Black models, these companies are opting to generate them, effectively bypassing real representation while performing as inclusive.
“It’s very offensive that they’re trying to push this as a way to include all kinds of body and skin types,” Baltz said. “The industry has a plethora of black women and curvy models who they could be using, they’re just choosing not to. We were the last ones to get in and we’re going to be the first ones to get pushed out.”
This movement not only undercuts work opportunities, but also exploits Black bodies without engaging with the lived experiences, culture and identity they come from.
“I feel like black models, curve models, we have already had to fight tooth and nail to get into this industry,” Baltz explained. “We’ve always heard there’s only room for one. ‘We already have a curve girl. We already have a black girl. We already have a curly hair girl’ while seeing numerous white models. We don’t look similar just because we have brown skin. There’s room for so many more of us.”
Real Models Are Fighting Back
Rather than surrendering to their new reality, real models are speaking up, mobilizing, and redefining their relevance against a synthetic space. For Baltz, the anger she felt let her know there was a cause to fight for. “I was like, ‘Oh my god. Instead of being angry, upset, anxious, I need to channel this energy creatively.’”
Her “Got Real” campaign plays on the iconic 2000s “Got Milk” ads, all while centering the significance of human creativity and flesh-and-blood talent. Everything about her campaign, from curating a team to pulling inspired references to following an organic vision, is rebellion against the soulnessness of AI.
“I really also wanted to highlight the importance of teams. It’s not just about models. Being on a set, the energy that everybody brings when they’re passionate about what they do, whether that’s the lighting techs, the photographers, makeup artists, hairstylists, everything. I knew I had to do this with a team,” Baltz said.
She explains that it was important to not make her project too focused on digital twins, AI, or the brands that are trying to implement it.
“Instead, it’s bringing more attention to the celebration of real bodies, real people, real talent, real creatives, real passion,” Baltz shared.
While companies implementing AI argue that the time they’re saving is enough of an incentive, Baltz argues that patience is the point.
“People are forgetting the beauty of something slow and real. They want everything quick. They want everything as convenient as it can be. There is so much beauty in taking your time in the creative process,” Baltz said.
Don’t Support AI Models
AI is proof that technology is advancing far too quickly for society to stop and critically analyze its ethics. Technology opening doors doesn’t mean it has to close them, too. AI should aid in mitigating administrative tasks, not generating creative ones. It should give humans more time for leisure and art, not threatening their livelihood for the sake of cost-efficiency. Brilliance cannot be manufactured. Money is power. As consumers watch on, they must do their part by retracting support from the companies and campaigns enlisting AI over real models.
“These businesses, these brands, they want money. If people are not buying and supporting, they’re gonna have to listen. I think people really have to be conscious of the brands that are celebrating real people, real bodies, just real creatives in general,” Baltz advised.
The model encourages people to not support brands using AI generated models. She also says people should speak up and invest in the brands that are celebrating real, diverse representation including black women, curvy women, all body types and skin types.
“Support them because other brands will follow when they see that they’re not doing well. That’s the thing about the industry. A lot of things are constantly trending, we need to play into that,” Baltz shared. “f they see brands that are celebrating real people doing well, they’re gonna be like, ‘Hey. I don’t think this AI thing is working. We’re gonna have to go that direction.’ That is the hope.”