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Welcome to Beauty Run by Robots, a Vogue Business mini-series exploring the role and effects artificial intelligence (AI) will have on the beauty industry.
Beauty is no longer in the eye of the beholder — it’s in the hands of the generative artificial intelligence prompter. Take for instance, the ‘Miss AI’ beauty pageant organised by subscription social platform Fanvue, where over 1,500 AI-generated influencers compete for the $5,000 top prize. Or AI influencer Lil Miquela’s ascent to top model, starring in Prada and Calvin Klein campaigns and sharing them to her 2.4 million followers. Then, there’s Shudu Gram, widely recognised as the world’s first AI supermodel, who has already collaborated with Fenty Beauty and Ferragamo.
Brands, too, are racing to keep pace with the rise of AI-driven innovation. Balmain’s ‘virtual army’ introduced a fully digital model line-up to the luxury space in 2022. While Noonoouri, the doll-like virtual influencer, has fronted campaigns for Dior, Versace and Valentino, seamlessly blending AI aesthetics with high fashion. Even beauty giants are experimenting with AI-generated faces — L’Oréal’s AI model Shay, for example, serves as the face of a futuristic campaign designed to blur the lines between real and digital beauty.
Yet, as AI-generated faces become more prominent, they’ve also come under fire for the way they look. Beauty journalist Jessica DeFino dubs this emerging aesthetic the ‘meta face’: hyper-perfected, otherworldly and disturbingly devoid of human imperfection. Think flawless, textureless skin, exaggerated proportions and hyper-feminised features — an uncanny vision of beauty that is more simulation than reality.
Critics argue that AI is not just reshaping beauty, but distancing us from our own humanity, reinforcing unattainable ideals and perpetuating exclusionary beauty standards under the guise of technological progress. While some hail AI as a tool for democratising beauty, others warn that it could further entrench the industry’s long-standing biases, offering an illusion of inclusivity while subtly reinforcing the same narrow ideals.
As brands double down on AI aesthetics, they face a critical question: are they at risk of alienating consumers in the pursuit of algorithmic perfection? Or is this the moment to rewrite beauty’s narrative entirely?
AI’s effect on beauty standards
Beauty has always been shaped by the technology of its time. In the early 1900s, low-definition film cameras softened the appearance of Hollywood stars, giving rise to a blurred, dreamlike ideal — one that quickly trickled down to the beauty industry through the first mass-produced anti-ageing creams, explains DeFino. Now, with social media filters, Facetune and AI-generated beauty images, consumers are once again more likely to want to change their real-life bodies to meet these artificial standards. “We’ve seen reports of patients taking altered images to cosmetic surgeons, asking them to replicate the AI-enhanced version of their faces,” she says.
“There has been a notable shift in patient expectations over the last several years, with more individuals referencing AI-generated imagery, hyper-perfect influencers and digitally enhanced aesthetics during consultations,” confirms Dr Jonathan Dunne, consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon at London’s Montrose Clinic. He notes that traditional beauty ideals, which were once shaped by celebrities and social media, are now being further distorted by AI, with patients’ expectations often failing to recognise just how far removed these visuals are from natural human anatomy.
“We’ve taught AI that beauty is a flawless, hyper-perfected aesthetic with zero tolerance for imperfection,” says Suzanne Scott, global associate beauty director at Seen Group. “That’s a shame, because beauty is deeply emotional. People want to see themselves reflected back, but instead, we’re seeing an increasingly homogenised look. There’s an aspirational element to beauty, but consumers also need to feel like they belong — and we’re losing that.”
This shift is particularly concerning for younger generations. Millennials and Gen Z grew up with at least some exposure to unfiltered reality. But Gen Alpha? They’re inheriting a world where augmented and AI-generated faces dominate their screens, shaping their perceptions before they’ve even had a chance to develop their own. “They won’t have the same tolerance for imperfection,” says Scott.
And that intolerance is already manifesting in real life. The rise of “imperceptible beauty”— subtle, undetectable cosmetic procedures designed to make you look like you’ve had no work done yet uncannily perfect — proves how deeply AI-altered beauty is bleeding into reality, getting closer to emulating these generative ideals. “The perception of what’s real and what’s not is being altered forever,” Scott adds.
But here’s the kicker: even when we know an image is fake, it still warps our self-perception. “Studies show that disclosing an AI-altered image as fake doesn’t help consumers feel better,” says Ellen Atlanta, author of Pixel Flesh: How Toxic Beauty Culture Harms Women. “Simply seeing the doctored image reinforces feelings of inadequacy, making the beauty ideal seem even more unattainable.” Without critical oversight, it’s more likely to entrench existing biases, codifying them into algorithms that are harder to challenge.
Indeed, AI doesn’t just present a new version of beauty, it curates and amplifies what we’ve already deemed ideal. “The way most AI systems work is by replicating the middle of distribution, so in other words, they reflect the existing biases of our current landscape,” explains Atlanta. “To truly disrupt, the systems behind AI must be as diverse and inclusive as the outcomes we aspire to create.”
How brands are shaping AI-generated beauty
With the rise of AI-generated models, influencers and campaigns, brands are faced with an ethical imperative: to ensure that AI serves as a force for inclusivity, transparency and responsible storytelling rather than simply reinforcing outdated beauty norms.
“We believe that the increase in AI personalities will have both positive and negative impacts on beauty standards, just like everything else in the market. We are not here to solve this long-standing issue for the industry, but we want to promote AI personalities to be diverse and to acknowledge the existing issues surrounding beauty standards,” says Sofia Novales, project manager of The Clueless.AI, the team behind AI influencer and Miss AI head judge Aitana Lopez.
Her team is actively working towards a more inclusive AI landscape by designing a diverse range of AI models: 15 male and 15 female, with various body sizes, skin tones and cultural backgrounds, while exploring the inclusion of trans models. “We are proud of the final shortlist that celebrated and championed diversity and messages that had a powerful impact. None more so than Kenza Layli, who was launched to empower women in the Middle East,” says Novales.
Beyond individual AI influencers, major brands are integrating AI-generated models into their campaigns. Recently Diesel’s eerily lifelike, AI-generated ripped elderly models graced social media to much virality. “Feedback has been a mix of curiosity and scepticism,” says a spokesperson for the brand. “Some audiences are intrigued by the novelty, while others question the depth of AI-generated content.”
“I don’t understand why you didn’t just use actual elderly models,” commented one user on their Instagram post. Still, engagement on Diesel’s AI-generated models soared: up 1.74 per cent on Instagram versus the 2024 average, with 8.8 million views, and up 1.39 per cent on TikTok versus 2024, with 11.4 million views, proving there is intrigue towards this new style of content.
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As brands explore the capabilities of AI, some are taking a more proactive approach to shaping the technology itself. A prime example is Dove’s ‘Code’ campaign, which directly confronts AI bias in beauty representation. “If you type into an AI prompt, ‘Show me the most perfect woman’, chances are the results will be slim, fair-skinned, blonde haired and blue-eyed,” explains Seen Group’s Scott, who represents the skincare brand. “But if you add in keywords like ‘Dove real beauty’, you get diverse images — different skin textures, hair types, body types and even disabled bodies.”
“When they create diverse campaigns, they’re not just resonating with their audience — they’re shaping the algorithm. In that sense, brands like Dove are taking on the role of educators,” she continues. While AI can be a powerful creative tool, its application in beauty marketing raises ethical concerns. AI-generated before-and-after images — especially in skincare and hair loss treatments — are becoming increasingly common, with brands partnering with generative AI firms to simulate product outcomes rather than testing on real people. “While this technology is undeniably innovative, the risk of brands exaggerating or fabricating results could further erode consumer trust — something already fragile in the beauty industry. It’s a precarious path, and one that demands careful regulation,” warns Scott.
How can brands navigate AI ethically?
AI should never be a stand-in for authenticity, and brands that attempt to pass off machine-generated flawlessness as organic storytelling risk losing credibility.
“Authenticity starts with transparency. Brands must be upfront about their use of AI, framing it as a complement to human storytelling rather than a way to fabricate perfection,” says Atlanta, adding that “the most effective branding strategies treat AI as a tool, not a replacement, for human creativity and connection”.
The brands navigating AI successfully are the ones that meld technology with human artistry rather than replacing it outright. Leather goods brand Thalie Paris’s recent AI-generated fashion campaign is a prime example, blending traditional photography with digital enhancements. A collaboration between fashion photographer José Aragon and digital designer Carrie Crigler, the project uses real-world models whose faces were mapped by AI into virtually generated sets wearing virtually generated garments.
“AI connects creativity directly to execution, offering more freedom. Working with different photographers, models and makeup artists doesn’t always align perfectly with the vision in your mind. With AI, you have that control,” says Thalie Paris founder Nathalie Dionne.
For brands like Thalie Paris, AI is not a gimmick but an extension of their long-standing digital experimentation. Having launched their first NFT in 2022 in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz’s Lifestyle Innovation Lab, hosted an augmented reality presentation at Station F in Paris in 2020 and established a virtual reality showroom on Shopify, their adoption of AI feels like a natural evolution rather than an opportunistic grab for attention, which is an important thing brands must consider.
Scott notes that in beauty, AI is currently being used more for world-building. For example, one of their US clients, Finery, uses AI to create virtual spaces around their fragrances instead of shooting elaborate campaigns. “It would be amazing to see a brand using AI to push the boundaries of human capabilities: discovering eyeshadow pigments no human formula could create, designing avant-garde digital looks, or harnessing data to recommend effective skincare routines,” adds Atlanta on the other non-harmful applications of AI in the space.
Others question whether the idea of using AI ethically is a farce in itself. “Given what we know about AI — one, its devastating impact on the environment and the energy it consumes; and two, how AI-influenced beauty imagery affects consumers who internalise these impossible levels of perfection — I don’t think there is a way to use AI ethically in campaigns,” says DeFino.
Perhaps the real question is not whether AI can be used ethically, but whether brands are willing to take on the responsibility of using it consciously. If AI is to have a place in beauty and fashion, it must be wielded with intentionality — uplifting diverse representation, enhancing creative storytelling and prioritising consumer trust over digital perfection. The brands that succeed will be those that don’t just chase what AI can do, but critically consider what it should do.
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