CMU School of Drama


Friday, October 06, 2023

How AI Try-on Tools Cut Costs and Improve the Shopping Experience

www.businessinsider.com: "If you're guessing how something might look or how it might hang on you from a picture of somebody totally different, then inevitably that's going to lead to people being disappointed when they actually receive the item," Alexander Berend, the CEO of the AI-imaging software company Anthropics Technology, said. Virtual try-on is taking the guesswork out of fit for customers, and proving to be better for retailers' bottom lines.

4 comments:

Selina Wang said...

While I’m all in favour of the fashion industry going green, I still have some concerns with AI try-ons. Fashion companies have been very generous with returns because they want to attract and keep customers with good services, but easy-returns do lead to a lot of emission that comes from packaging and transport alone. AI try-ons are good ideas, but there are still many concerns with the safety behind these tools. No one wants to have images of their body stored somewhere in the cloud because they used AI. While companies claim that your data is secure, I still think there are just so many things customers have no control over. At the same time, problems like not knowing the texture of the fabric doesn’t really get fixed. As we know, lighting and the device screen contribute greatly to how an object’s colour appear. I think colour matching will always be a struggle in this case, even with the help of technology.

Nick Wylie said...

I do think that AI Try-on tools for clothing and jewelry can be a good way to help shoppers find what they like without having to physically try it on, but I also would be wary of trying it. There are many problems with AI programs such as this, and the main one is that companies who create these platforms may not always have good intentions in mind for your personal data. With these AI platforms, it needs to model the clothing based off of the picture/video of you. I do not think that every AI program was made with malicious intent, but there are definitely some that will benefit from selling your likeness to other places that you would not give your explicit consent for. Another problem with a program like this is that it doesn't really solve the problem said in the article about bracketing, where similar sizes will be bought with the intention of returning them after figuring out which one is the correct size. There are also questions about whether the company will try to make the clothing look more flattering in terms of shape and color, leading to misconceptions of what the clothing really looks like and most likely ends up with it being returned anyway. I do see why a program like this would be created, but I don't know if it will truly solve any of the problems it was made to fix and instead might cause more problems with personal security.

Esther said...

I am obsessed with this new feature. I have always loved going shopping with my mom but sometimes there is simply no time to just go to the mall when you need a dress or clothes for an event coming up. I have hesitated so much about what would look good on me online and there have definitely been moments where I do not buy something because I just do not think it will work or I buy something that is so cute but when I try it on it is horrible. The AI try on tool is so helpful to see what a certain item looks but it is also extremely inclusive. Having a tool to show what something looks like will probably make businesses more inclined to make their clothing more inclusive to different body types. It is also important to note how people have been returning more items online and how this tool will help so this tool in my mind has no downside.

Helen Maleeny said...

I am very torn by this idea. The thought behind it is smart, and I’m sure that in some ways it can be helpful. With your size and features inputted, it probably is a bit more accurate of a look than one on a model. Personally, I’d rather see pictures of an outfit on a real person however. Because even if they aren’t my size, I can guess and try on later, and at least I know what I’m looking at is real, and not overly altered. Also I definitely don’t think this will stop people from actually trying on clothes. It might assist in the online-shopping process, however the reason people try on clothes is to see how it actually fits you, and how it looks on you, and AI can’t replicate that feeling. You won’t know how well those jeans fit unless you try them on, even if technology can photoshop a picture of you in the jeans. Overall I think this is a clever thought, but that the article hypes up the idea as much more groundbreaking and industry-changing than it will be.