It’s finally happened. The first major fashion magazine has used a cover image made entirely from artificial intelligence (AI), with not a camera, stylist, make-up artist, designer or art director in sight. And it allegedly took just 20 minutes to create. We are officially doomed.
Lisa Opie, a former Miss Virgin Islands hailing from Miami, graces the August cover of Glamour Bulgaria. The image shows a futuristic Barbie aesthetic that perfectly aligns with her personal style.
Opie revealed her inspiration for the shoot, stating to the NY Post, “My team and I were kind of putting together the storyboard, and we wanted to do a futuristic Barbie theme because, first of all, Barbie is, like, my lifestyle and it’s who I am. And with the ‘Barbie’ movie coming out, it was perfect.”
Collaborating with her stylist, Joey Rolon, Opie stumbled upon an image of a pink-clad Barbie adorned with a breastplate. Enamoured by the picture, she was determined to incorporate it into the cover. Surprisingly, the image was generated by a talented AI artist named Fran H, known as @ai_fashion_photos, on Instagram.
Intrigued by Fran’s work, Opie and her team approached her with a unique request—using Opie’s face to create images for the Glamour Bulgaria cover shoot.
Opie had to provide Fran with numerous facial photographs shot from various angles. Approximately 50 images were generated for the cover shoot—a process that unfolded in a mere 20 minutes.
While some images exhibited minor imperfections, such as deformed fingers, others surpassed Opie’s wildest expectations. She gushed to The Post, “It was super, super easy, and it was really fun, because sometimes it would generate things that you wouldn’t even think of, but you like it better than what your original idea was.”
Despite the AI-generated images dominating the magazine, one authentic photograph of Opie herself found its place within the publication. This genuine image showcases the model adorned in a pink floral top, boasting “afro-style” hair, providing readers with a glimpse of her true appearance.
Opie embraces the luxurious treatment typically accorded to models during shoots but fervently embraces the potential sustainability of AI-driven photoshoots. Highlighting the time-saving aspect, Opie noted that the AI technology eliminated the need to try on multiple outfits, as she donned a pink ensemble for the training photos, allowing the AI to recognize the desired colour scheme.
However, some have not embraced this innovative approach to magazine covers. Fashion columnist and editor Merle Ginsberg expressed her disdain beneath Fran’s Instagram post, stating, “I’m sure the fashion photographers are thrilled about this. It’s rather disgusting.”
Opie herself acknowledged concerns surrounding the negative impact of AI on job prospects for photographers and set designers during her interview with the New York Post. Recognizing the potential repercussions, Opie shared her thoughts on the necessity of protecting individuals affected by the rise of AI, acknowledging that AI is “the wild, wild West.”
Still, while Opie paid lip service to the potential threat to jobs, Opie’s main concern seems to be mostly limited to the rise of deepfakes and nudity. She spares little remorse for the potential jobs that it could replace, telling Glamour that “for these images, we had no photographer, set, clothes, accessories, hair and makeup…we can see how AI could replace photo shoots entirely.”
She might want to be careful, however, since AI is not just coming after people with creative talent. Hollywood actors are on strike now as well after a proposal was made to scan their likenesses for use in a Black Mirror-esque scenario. We won’t even need models and celebrities soon.
[Via The New York Post]
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