Valentino criticised over ‘disturbing’ AI handbag ads

Italian luxury fashion house Valentino has come under fire after posting a “disturbing” advertisement online for one of its luxury bags created using artificial intelligence (AI).

The brand has announced a collaboration with digital artists on what it calls a “digital creative project” to promote its new DeVain handbag.

But the AI-generated ad she posted on Instagram was met with harsh criticism from fans, who called the visuals and use of AI “sloppy” and “sad.”

The BBC has approached Valentino for comment.

Instagram post promoting a handbagThe label, which claims to have been made using artificial intelligence, features a “surreal” collage of models linked between Valentino logos and a DeVain bag.

At one point, it shows models appearing to emerge from an ornate gold version of the handbag. In another, a brand's logo transforms into people's hands, which then transform into a merging vortex of bodies.

Among the hundreds of comments left on Valentino's Instagram video Monday, many criticized the use of artificial intelligence as “cheap” and “lazy.”

“Disappointment from the fashion house,” one user wrote in response to the video on Instagram.

“Advertising campaigns are an opportunity to put talented creatives in the spotlight. The AI ​​in this case is lazy at best.”

Others called on the company's marketing department to “read the room”, compared the content to “AI slop” and accused the company of “rage baiting”.

Dr Rebecca Swift, senior vice president of creative at Getty Images, said the backlash suggests many view AI content as “less valuable” than human creations.

“While people are excited about AI-generated content for personal use, they are demanding higher standards from brands, especially high-end brands,” she said.

“Even full transparency about the use of AI was not enough to defeat them.”

The fashion industry, like many other creative industries, has embraced generative AI tools that can create images and videos in seconds to reduce production and promotion costs.

It was also cited as an opportunity to explore how new and emerging technologies can improve key processes such as design, manufacturing and calibration.

But it has also raised fears that its wider adoption could displace people or reduce the quality of fashion products.

Anne-Lise Prem, head of cultural research and trends at creative digital agency Loop, said that while Valentino had shown the “right instinct” to openly talk about using generative AI, the backlash to it showed “deeper cultural tensions.”

“The main problem is not the technology itself, but the perception of what it replaces,” she told the BBC.

“When artificial intelligence enters a brand's visual identity, people worry that the brand is choosing efficiency over artistry.

“Even when the execution is creative, audiences often perceive it as cost-savings disguised as innovation.”

Using AI at H&M to create “digital twins” of models for advertising and social media posts sparked criticism over its influence on models, as well as the photographers and makeup artists who play key roles on shoots.

Meanwhile, an AI-generated Guess ad published in Vogue magazine earlier this year raised concerns about his influence on female beauty standards.

Ms Prem said that while there were clear benefits and “new creative opportunities” for brands using AI, “the risk is just as clear”.

“Without a strong emotional message, generative AI could make luxury less human at a time when people want human presence more than ever,” she said.