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Original poster

AIBU to be worried about this? Guess campaign uses AI models

32 replies

Robin67 · 27/07/2025 10:13

Throughout time women have often been held (by society and themselves) to limited and often unachievable beauty standards. This can lead to issues with self esteem. The digital revolution and social media have made it worse. More diverse casting and reduced photo shopping made it a bit better. Now Guess have employed an AI company (run by two very talented, and ironically beautiful women) to design a model for their campaigns. The model is next level beautiful. What does this mean for real people? Very few women can actually look like that, and not for long; think over 25 will already lose something in comparison to her. I despair for young women in particular and honestly this could lead to so many further issues with self esteem and self worth. The article is on the bbc website today.

OP posts:
CreationNat1on · 27/07/2025 11:01

Many human models are anorexic.

I love that this AI model is a full bodied healthy looking woman.. You rarely see that in magazines or on TV, it's all emaciated women that are propelled to stardom on TV.

IZK · 27/07/2025 10:59

What does this mean for real people?

Real people will have to learn and accept that the models are AI and not in any way real.

It sounds overly simple, but there is really no other way around it.

In the same way they've had to learn that they won't necessarily be able to look like the human models either.

MiloMinderbinder925 · 27/07/2025 10:56

Robin67 · 27/07/2025 10:45

I understand and agree. But it's still a little depressing to me. When I was younger Bridget Hall was the big name who was the polar opposite to me. I acknowledged that she was beautiful but also that I could not ever look like her. I don't look anything like Salma Hayek for the record. However we had similar colourings, both booby and also shorter. So it was nice to know that she was considered beautiful too. Even though I looked nothing like her. In the article, they have said that they also experimented with more diverse models, but there was no market for it, or something like that.

I am very specifically not jealous of Blake Lively, Eiza Gonzalez, Bella Hadid and Kylie Jenner because "even they don't look like that". All 4 of these women looked dramatically different and normal before their surgeries. But if I was young and impressionable I feel sure that I would be under (self-applied) pressure to get work done, if these are the images projected everywhere.

This is part of the problem. Why are girls focused on their looks to the exclusion of everything else? Why not aspire to be a writer, sports star, politician, activist, artist, singer, actor, scientist, musician? Why do girls compare themselves to other women's looks and judge themselves?

CreationNat1on · 27/07/2025 10:51

The benefits of AI Model:

Don't have to pay the model royalties or deal with any allegations of unfair treatment, or the model behaving badly and damaging the brand.

Can identify what the widest market of buyers consider pleasing.

Can have different models for different regions.

Can ensure the model is a healthy weight.

Buyers will know this is an AI Generated image and not reality.

I like the pictures, must read the article now.

Original poster
Robin67 · 27/07/2025 10:45

I understand and agree. But it's still a little depressing to me. When I was younger Bridget Hall was the big name who was the polar opposite to me. I acknowledged that she was beautiful but also that I could not ever look like her. I don't look anything like Salma Hayek for the record. However we had similar colourings, both booby and also shorter. So it was nice to know that she was considered beautiful too. Even though I looked nothing like her. In the article, they have said that they also experimented with more diverse models, but there was no market for it, or something like that.

I am very specifically not jealous of Blake Lively, Eiza Gonzalez, Bella Hadid and Kylie Jenner because "even they don't look like that". All 4 of these women looked dramatically different and normal before their surgeries. But if I was young and impressionable I feel sure that I would be under (self-applied) pressure to get work done, if these are the images projected everywhere.

OP posts:
MiloMinderbinder925 · 27/07/2025 10:33

I think it's a complex issue. Why are girls so insecure about their looks and what can be done to mitigate that? Worrying about models is a sticking plaster for a much deeper issue.

If you're confident, have good self esteem and like yourself, you're less likely to take any notice of models.

OP posts: