Editorial: Artificial intelligence (AI) in fashion—the risks, rewards and responsibilities

Editorial: Artificial intelligence (AI) in fashion—the risks, rewards and responsibilities

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are poised to disrupt the fashion value chain by driving innovation and creating competitive advantages. Potential applications range from trend prediction, product development and stock optimisation to personalised marketing, customer journeys and retail design. However, the use of AI tools will give rise to new risks and raise ethical questions about how this new technology should be exploited. Eventually, the use of AI will be regulated by legislation but legislation will always lag behind real-world use. Consequently, it is up to everyone in the industry to ensure that AI is used responsibly, and that the human touch in fashion—which is essential to its success—is preserved. At a conference entitled “Artificial intelligence in fashion—the risks, the rewards, and the responsibilities”, which was organised by the Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry (ASBCI) and held in October 2024 in the UK, speakers and delegates sought to address the question as to how the industry can harness the rewards of AI while mitigating the risks and fulfilling its responsibilities to people, planet and business. In this report, Robin Anson examines the key takeaways from the conference, including the need to address the problem of “saturation” in the retail and fashion industry—which AI and “digital” are partially responsible for—and the need to transition from mass production back to personalised fashion, with the help of AI. However, AI tools show promise for achieving circularity and AI tools can help in reshaping workflows and processes and enhancing efficiency. Moreover, it could play a role in revolutionising the fashion industry—from predicting demand and optimising inventory to enhancing customer experiences and improving sales efficiency.