The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in digital media is reshaping perceptions of beauty, potentially to the detriment of real-world diversity and self-esteem. Anele Nzimande, PR Lead for Beauty Wellness at Unilever, recently discussed this growing concern and Dove’s response to the AI-driven beauty landscape.
Nzimande acknowledges AI’s positive impacts but warns of its limitations in representing human diversity.
“We are living in a world where it is predicted by 2026 that a lot of the images that you see on digital online will actually be AI generated images,” she explained. This shift raises questions about authentic representation in media.
The problem, Nzimande noted, is that AI often fails to capture human nuances: “We need to be able to help AI to teach AI how to represent human beings in a way that is not perfection. We have smile lines, we have freckles, we are diverse and AI doesn’t actually pick up on those nuances and that diversity.”
In response, Dove is taking a stand.
“In our advertising we will never use AI to represent women,” Nzimande stated. “We will actually always feature real women in our advertising.” This commitment aims to counter the trend of AI-generated models in beauty advertising.
Nzimande stressed the importance of broadening beauty standards: “It’s not about saying this standard of beauty is wrong or we should reject the standard of beauty. It’s about making it broad, it’s about making it diverse so that everyone can claim beauty.”
As AI continues to influence digital content, brands like Dove are working to ensure that real, diverse beauty remains at the forefront. The goal is to create a more inclusive beauty landscape that celebrates human diversity in all its forms.
