Threads and Tales by Sofia: Why is there AI in Vogue?

By Sofia Lamdichi | September 8, 2025

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Vogue magazine is meant to be a celebration and portrayal of one of the most beautiful forms of art, incorporating different art forms in one physical collection of words and images. In a recent issue, the publication featured an ad for Guess that utilized an AI model. The computerized model did not achieve a look or pose that a human model could not achieve, which raises questions about the artistic value these AI models bring to the table.

Beyond the immediate reaction to the Guess ad, this incident prompts a wider discussion about the evolving relationship between technology and human creativity in the fashion industry. 

The integration of AI into editorial content, advertising and even design processes is becoming increasingly common. While technological innovation has always played a role in fashion – through novel fabrics, digital photography and social media platforms – the use of AI models feels fundamentally different. 

Unlike previous advancements that enhanced human expression, AI-generated models risk replacing the unique qualities that real people bring to the world of fashion imagery.

Furthermore, the debate extends to the ethical implications of AI in creative industries. 

Some argue that AI could democratize access to fashion by making high-quality visuals quicker and more affordable to produce. However, this efficiency comes at the cost of authenticity and may ultimately devalue the skills of photographers, makeup artists, stylists and, of course, models themselves. As AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated, the line between what is real and what is artificial blurs, potentially diminishing the trust and connection readers have with magazines like Vogue. 

Many readers felt that the images created by the AI model appeared lifeless and lacked the emotion or depth usually found in human models. 

This reaction underscores the concern that AI may not capture the essence and artistry intended for Vogue's audience. It simplifies the art of posing for an ad down to solely an economic proposition, making it seem like the consumers do not have an artistic eye and are only looking for a new product to buy. People who still buy magazines and have a subscription with Vogue and other types of media outlets are the least likely to be the type of people who do not give any thought to the articles they are reading and the images they are observing.

Many believe that the use of artificial intelligence in any form in a magazine or media outlet that has been made great due to the creativity and hard work of humans is insulting. It insults not only the consumers of the media but also the long history of creatives who have worked in the field of producing images that did more than sell a product. The images that one looks at as they read their magazines are meant to jump off the pages and transport the reader/viewer to whichever realm the creatives behind the scenes wanted them to go to.