--- title: "Levi’s Mocked for Using AI to Generate “Diverse” Denim Models" description: "The AI death march is apparently on its way to claiming another victim now that Levi's is, apparently, going to start outsourcing its model diversity to AI." date: "2023-03-28" modified: "2023-03-28" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/levis-ai-models" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "ai" - "denim" - "diversity" - "the digest" --- # Levi’s Mocked for Using AI to Generate “Diverse” Denim Models ![The AI death march is apparently on its way to claiming another victim now that Levi's is, apparently, going to start outsourcing its model diversity to AI.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Model Behavior AI has claimed its latest victim, now that Levi Strauss is apparently going to start outsourcing its model diversity to algorithms. Last week, Levi Strauss announced that it would be partnering with the artificial intelligence firm Lalaland.ai, which [according to a press release]() is a "digital fashion studio that builds customized AI-generated models" in an effort to — and we promise we're not joking here — increase "the number and diversity of our models for our products in a sustainable way." Although a company executive promised in the press release that "AI will likely never fully replace human models for us," folks are, unsurprisingly, pretty irked. "AI generated models huh?" [games journalist Jefferey Rousseau tweeted](). "I guess all the people of color just don't exist anymore." Creative workers' rights advocate Thom Binding had even harsher words for the move. "Levi’s using AI to generate 'more diverse models' instead of, you know, actually hiring more diverse models is exactly the kind of crap you’d expect from this industry," the [British union organizer mused](). "I’m so sick of this shit and all the tech-mad charlatans enabling these behaviours in their clients." ## Pant Hill As [*Mashable* helpfully points out](), this move comes about a year after the company laid off 700 people when cutting 15 percent of its staff, saving the company a reported $100 million, per [*USA Today*'s reporting]() at the time, which also noted that the company had experienced a drop in sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. While we neither know how much Levi's deal with Lalaland.ai is nor whether it would be anywhere close to $100 million, it nevertheless feels very sketchy that the company would rather invest in fake diversity than the real thing after doing layoffs for reported financial reasons. Tackling Levi's [purported commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion]() (DEI), branding expert Lisa Barone pointed out the irony in a pitch-perfect post. "DEI is a top priority and we believe our models should reflect consumers," [Barone tweeted](). "So, instead of creating real opportunities for marginalized communities, we will use AI to feature people who don't exist." "This ain't it," she added — and we've gotta say, go off. **More on AI madness:** *[That Viral Image of the Swagged-Out Pope is an AI Fake, Dummies]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()