Vogue Italia Stirs Up Mixed Reactions For AI-Generated Bella Hadid Shoot
For once, Bella Hadid is stealing just as much attention as the models in the background.
In acknowledgment of artificial intelligence’s disruption of the creative world, Vogue Italia magazine lensed the supermodel and brought in automatically synthesized talents and props. Hadid was styled by Imruh Asha and photographed in a studio by Carlijn Jacobs, and the images were combined with “‘unreal’ backgrounds” generated on OpenAI’s DALL-E 2.
Vogue Italia bills the project as a “creative collaboration” between photographer, stylist, and the machine. “With the support of AI artist Chad Nelson, Jacobs took on the unusual challenge of translating her creative vision into advice for the ‘machine,’ which resulted in a fascinating interplay between human creativity and artificial imagery,” describes Vogue writer Michele Fossi.
Hadid not only appears on the cover in a blue silk crepe satin gown, against a matching, retro-futuristic backdrop with a pool and a car, but she also poses with wildlife (no animals were harmed in this shoot, if you were wondering), towers over a dreamy city, and stands next to a giant balloon.
The visuals convey how the new-normal of experimentation can go “beyond your wildest dreams,” which is the tagline displayed on the cover.
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There was a method to the madness, however. The team still had to be specific with its vision for these wild ideas to translate.
In one picture, Hadid is seen dressed in a real, handcrafted JW Anderson top made up of recycled keyboards. To complete the image, Vogue Italia entered the description, “Model lying on giant vintage computer while typing on a keyboard,” into DALL-E 2 to generate a suitable background.
Bella Hadid for Vogue Italia pic.twitter.com/iiVwKO2L4z
— Kea (@jacquemusx) April 27, 2023
Other prompts include “miniature city taken at night in Madurodam,” “big green inflatable balloon in a gallery caught on film,” “a large strawberry behind a model and people in striped dresses,” and “model standing at the North Pole with huge white tigers.”
bella hadid for vogue italia pic.twitter.com/CgcuiuN3DT
— ÙŽ (@bellalooks) April 28, 2023
Hadid has been known to feature in some non-conventional campaigns exploring futuristic concepts. Among them is a Calvin Klein advertisement in 2019 where the star was captured making out with CGI social media influencer Lil Miquela.
As you can imagine, Vogue Italia’s choice to integrate artificial images and models into the shoot has been met with both awe or disdain.
I love the AI shoot with Bella Hadid and Vogue Italia pic.twitter.com/VkyjWFrhy0
— bells (@jortsftw) April 28, 2023
“A recent shoot that is actually good… I’m shocked,” one person writes.
Others, however, have pointed out the less-than-realistic results that transport the shoot to Uncanny Valley.
“Imagine replacing human talent with AI and THIS is the result? Vogue Italia, do better,” critiques one person.
Imagine replacing human talent with AI and THIS is the result?? Vogue Italia, do better. pic.twitter.com/SyTCy2LDBf
— Kea (@jacquemusx) April 28, 2023
🙃 pic.twitter.com/PXgeGAdlj6
— de Jesús 🊠(@imomososa) April 28, 2023
“I like the look of the AI photo shoots of Bella Hadid… but I’m not here for people losing their jobs,” comments another.
Since taking off late last year, generative AI has only gotten better, with no signs of slowing down. Some fans think this is the way of the future, and that people will just have to learn to embrace it.
“AI is going to be a tool we use. Might as well get used to it,” shares one reader. “That Bella Hadid shoot was just the start.”
“I think it was meant to be uncanny, weird and unfinished like AI truly is,” one reader defends.
Explaining her experience working with AI on the shoot, Jacobs notes that it’s like “being a curator.”
Vogue Italia stresses that humans can’t really be removed from the equation yet.
“It was a demanding collaboration, studded with frustrating moments but also with surprises and twists,” reads the feature. “In order to achieve the desired results, it required the development of an ad hoc working strategy that was revised several times during the course of the project.”
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Jacobs, who has been tasked with editorial shoots for Vogue, Dazed Magazine, and more, is of the opinion that humans have to start utilizing AI as an aid.
“We can use AI to replace human creativity, and get lazy, or as a tool to stimulate it, expand it, overcoming its traditional limits,” the photographer relates. “If we opt for the second option, exciting times await those who, like us, are lucky enough to experience this era working in a creative sector.”
Bella Hadid looks beautiful for @Vogue_Italia.
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) April 27, 2023
📸: Carlijn Jacobs pic.twitter.com/Z0F4kugQg0
[via PetaPixel and Futurism, images via Vogue Italia]
