Top 7 Noteworthy AI Innovations in Fashion in 2023

While we saw companies around the world jumping onto the bandwagon of implementing generative AI in their daily workflow, the fashion industry took its own sweet time. However, we have recently witnessed significant developments in this space, particularly over the last six months of 2023. AI has been a catalyst in analysing data for trend-driven collections, and it’s pivotal in developing eco-friendly materials, optimizing production for sustainability and more.

Now, let’s explore some of the key developments in the application of AI in the fashion industry this year.

Humane AI

Introduced at the premier Paris fashion week by supermodel Naomi Campbell, OpenAI-backed startup Humane AI introduced Human Ai pin, shedding light on the future of AI wearables.

Humane’s AI Pin is a voice-activated wearable device that uses LLMs for conversational AI interaction. Operating on the Cosmos system, it streamlines user experience by automatically directing queries to relevant tools, eliminating the need for manual app or settings management. Through the AI Mic software, the device connects to AI models, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, enabling tasks such as making calls, translating conversations, taking photos, and delivering reminders.

Google

Google has launched two features to improve online clothes shopping. The Virtual Try-On for apparel uses generative AI to display clothes on diverse real models, aiding users in making informed decisions about how garments will look on different body types and skin tones. Currently available for women’s tops from brands like Anthropologie, Everlane, H&M, and LOFT, this feature is expected to expand to include more brands and items, including men’s tops.

The second feature, Guided Refinements, utilises machine learning and visual matching algorithms to help users narrow down online product searches based on factors like colour, style, and pattern, offering a more tailored shopping experience with options from various retailers. Both features aim to replicate the convenience of trying on clothes in-store and address common challenges faced by online shoppers.

Levi Strauss

Denim pioneer Levi Strauss announced a partnership with Lalaland.AI, an Amsterdam-based digital fashion studio specialising in AI-generated models. The collaboration aims to test AI-generated models later this year to complement human models, diversifying and expanding the representation of models for Levi’s products.

Lalaland.ai employs advanced AI to create hyper-realistic models representing various body types, ages, sizes, and skin tones, contributing to a more inclusive and sustainable shopping experience. While acknowledging the potential of AI technology to enhance consumer experience, the focus remains on leveraging technology to create a more diverse, personal, and engaging customer experience, aligning with Levi’s ongoing efforts to foster diversity in both content creation and consumer representation.

Adobe

Adobe’s Project Primrose is an interactive dress crafted using wearable and flexible, non-emissive textiles, allowing the entire surface to display content made using Adobe Firefly, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Stock, and Adobe Illustrator. The dress is engineered to animate fabric, undergoing design and style changes quickly.

The technology at play involves light-diffusing modules for displays, utilising a non-emissive and flexible system employing reflective-backed polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), a material commonly used in smart windows. This energy-efficient material, adaptable to various shapes, dynamically diffuses light.

Moreover, the dress integrates sensors that respond to the wearer’s movements. Designers can opt to employ Adobe’s creative AI tools to generate visuals based on textual prompts.

Shopify

Canadian e-commerce giant Shopify is also embracing generative AI through its Shopify Magic initiative. Under this umbrella, the company unveiled enhanced features that leverage generative AI. Shopify Magic can now deliver tailored responses to customer queries based on their interaction history and store policies. It extends its capabilities to generate content such as blog posts, product descriptions, and marketing emails.

The introduction of Sidekick, a chatbot-like AI tool, enables Shopify to comprehend and respond to queries related to business decision-making. The new capabilities of Shopify Magic utilise a combination of proprietary Shopify data, including merchant business data, and large language models like OpenAI’s GPT-4. Shopify Magic now allows merchants to automate the creation of blog posts for various occasions, offering customisation options for tone and language translation. Furthermore, it can generate content for customer emails based on brief prompts, automating the process of crafting weekly newsletters and announcements.

Microsoft

Microsoft has recently filed a patent for an innovative AI-powered smart backpack featuring advanced technology such as a camera, microphone, speaker, network interface, processor, and storage. The backpack, reminiscent of science fiction, is designed to enhance daily activities. In its patent application, Microsoft outlines various functionalities, including the ability to autonomously assess safety conditions for activities like skiing.

Not just the bag, Microsoft has significantly impacted the fashion industry through collaborations like the one with Portugal startup XNFY Lab, resulting in the launch of AI Generated Fashion powered by Azure Machine Learning. This initiative addresses sustainability concerns by allowing brands to generate high-definition clothing models based on market trends and customer demands, reducing the risk of unsold items.

In parallel, Microsoft’s Azure AI Video Indexer contributes by enabling clothing detection in videos, aiding content creators in advertising and post-event analysis.

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