Absolut teams up with Copy Lab to challenge beauty standards produced by AI

Premium spirits brand Absolut has teamed up with full-service studio Copy Lab to challenge “entrenched bias” corrupting fashion representation in artificial intelligence by reshaping outdated stereotypes to reform the portrayal of fashion and beauty standards in AI.

Absolut and Copy Lab state that research shows that 90 percent of AI-generated content is in danger of under-representation - especially in the fashion space, as AI systems are trained on biased data, which not only perpetuate but also amplify existing inequalities.

To combat the outdated and damaging stereotypes perpetuated by society, Absolut and Copy Lab have processed 10,000 image prompts highlighting a diverse representation of fashion, culture, and identity to push an AI algorithm across multiple models to craft a series of bold fashion images.

The result is a series of striking images featuring a broad range of gender fluidity, ethnicity, age, and body types that will feature in the second edition of the world’s first printed AI fashion magazine, Copy Magazine and be available for free use on stock image site Unsplash.

Debasree Dasgupta, global vice president of marketing at Absolut, said in a statement: "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.

“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.”