H&M Creates “Digital Twins” of Its Models

H&M is jumping into the world of AI by creating “digital twins” of its models that the talent will fully control.

Why It Hits: Several fashion companies have already experimented with AI-generated models, which have been met with mixed-to-negative reactions. By experimenting with digital twins that are indecipherable to audiences, H&M hopes to get the benefits of AI in a way that empowers models and doesn’t turn off customers.

Behind the Curtain: H&M plans to create digital twins of 30 models this year.

• It developed the digital twins with the models, their agents, and the tech company Uncut.
• They’ll first be introduced on social media and watermarked as AI to see what the reaction to them will be.
• The models will be contracted and compensated for their use as if they were doing the press materials IRL.
• Additionally, the models will be able to license their digital twins out to competing brands since they have complete control over their use.

Last Looks: H&M hopes that the digital twins will help offload the sheer number of materials that models need to appear in for campaigns, while also helping them earn some extra cash by enabling them to work multiple jobs simultaneously. But if a model can be anywhere at once, brands may opt to hire a small pool of in-demand talent rather than settle for someone with less appeal — completely turning the supply-and-demand model on its head.

And that’s not even mentioning the devastation it could bring to the beauty-team industry — including makeup artists, hair stylists, and photographers — who help make a model IRL.