Artificial Intelligence

AI adoption in fashion looks different at every level: while creative teams weigh its role in shaping ideas, factory workers must live under its metrics. Equity means reconciling both.

A new study suggests what many suspected: generative AI doesn’t just learn style—it remembers substance. Now, with lawsuits from the New York Times and acclaimed authors moving forward, the legal system is catching up. And for fashion—an industry built on inspiration—the question is no longer if AI poses a risk, but when.

Image generation has taken a leap forwards at the same time its chains have been loosened. As the biggest models get easier to use, better, and less restricted, will a point come where fashion has the appetite for action?

Fashion’s most glamorous, outward-facing roles are dominating discussions about AI-driven job displacement and the future of compensation, but behind-the-scenes creatives are perhaps more at risk as businesses prioritise cost-cutting, creative control, and speed. And what this means for the acquisition of skills in the future is unclear.

AI has long been a tool for refining personalisation, helping consumers discover and select products more easily. But as autonomous agents and hyper-realistic avatars take the next step - making purchases on behalf of shoppers - we may be moving toward a future where decisions are made for us, not by us. If this trajectory continues, will AI-powered retail enhance convenience, or simply redefine what it means to shop in the first place?