Absolut and Copy Lab Join Forces to Redefine AI’s Fashion and Beauty Standards
Absolut, a renowned premium spirits brand, has partnered with the full-service studio Copy Lab to tackle the “entrenched bias” that skews the representation of fashion in artificial intelligence. This collaboration aims to overhaul the outdated stereotypes that currently shape AI’s portrayal of fashion and beauty standards.
Research cited by Absolut and Copy Lab highlights a significant issue: 90 percent of AI-generated content risks perpetuating underrepresentation, particularly in the fashion industry. This is largely due to the biased data on which AI systems are trained, which not only maintains but also exacerbates existing societal inequalities.
In an innovative move, Absolut and Copy Lab have curated 10,000 image prompts that showcase diverse representations of fashion, culture, and identity. These prompts were used to train an AI algorithm across multiple models, resulting in a collection of bold fashion images. These images break conventional norms by featuring a wide range of gender expressions, ethnicities, ages, and body types.
The impactful images from this initiative will be featured in the second edition of the world’s first printed AI fashion magazine, Copy Magazine. Furthermore, they will be made available for free on the stock image website Unsplash, providing a resource for more inclusive visual content.
Debasree Dasgupta, the global vice president of marketing at Absolut, elaborated on the motivation behind this project. “For over forty years, Absolut has advocated for inclusivity, fluidity, and diverse representation. Our brand ethos is rooted in the concept of mixing—mixing ideas, identities, people, perspectives, and drinks. Given this foundation, we feel a deep responsibility to confront bias in AI head-on,” she stated.
Dasgupta also emphasized the broader impact of this initiative: “By challenging these biases, we aim to contribute to the creation of a more equitable and inclusive technology that positively impacts individuals and communities on a global scale. We hope that our partnership with Copy Lab will act as a catalyst and encourage people and brands to join the mission, as this is not something we can solve alone.”
Through their efforts, Absolut and Copy Lab are not only challenging existing AI algorithms but are also leading a charge towards more equitable and representative technological advancements in fashion and beauty. Their project underscores the potential for corporate responsibility to drive significant social change, particularly in the realms of technology and creative expression.