Guess not only used an AI model for a Vogue ad, but it resembles a supermodel sexually harassed by a Guess founder

[highplainsdem]

Earlier DU thread about the AI model:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220520745

Neither the thread/replies nor the BBC news story mention this, but the AI model looks a lot like American supermodel Kate Upton.

Who was harassed years ago by Guess co-founder Paul Marciano https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Marciano - and who gave details of the harassment here:

https://time.com/5137456/kate-upton-paul-marciano-interview/

She wasn't the only model to make such accusations. See the Wikipedia page and this article:

https://fortune.com/2023/09/29/guess-settlement-marciano-sexual-misconduct-lawsuit/

But Kate Upton was the most famous of his accusers.

I find it particularly grotesque that Guess not only used an AI model in Vogue, but used one that so closely resembles Upton.

[tanyev]

1. When she continued to reject him he called her a fat pig. Reminds me of another sexual harasser we all know and loathe.

From the TIME article:

When we arrived at the hotel, Paul came right up to me, grabbed me hard by my arm and insisted he was taking me to dinner, just him and I, to celebrate the campaign. Ellen picked up on this, literally grabbed my other arm, and invited herself by saying she was so excited to celebrate the campaign with us. Paul told her she was not invited to dinner, and I felt like she saved me by pulling me away from him and jokingly walking me to the elevator, saying, “Well if I’m not going, Kate’s not going.” I have always been so grateful to Ellen for doing that. [A representative for von Unwerth said she supported Upton but did not recall the particular incident.]

After that he was extremely upset. I had a final shoot [in May of 2011], and he was outwardly rude and degrading the entire time. He said I was “disgusting” and started telling people how unprofessional I was by spreading rumors that I was drunk on set and partying every night, which of course I wasn’t. I was then told to leave because Paul had said, “Get that fat pig off my set.”

[Hugin]

2. Sexual predators...

Tend to have a ‘type’ (there’s probably a more clinical word for the trait, but things are moving fast this morning and I haven’t had my coffee yet.)

Whether it be supermodels or thirteen year old children wearing blonde wigs.

[highplainsdem]

3. I think this is less about type and more about striking back at Kate Upton by showing her that

she can be replaced in Vogue by AI.

[Hugin]

5. You are probably correct in this instance...

I don’t know any of the specifics of how the fashion industry works and who’s hands these things pass through on the way to the press.

I know it’s well known for it’s pettiness and spite, though.

In the more general terms, what I said is true. Perhaps a certain model is originally chosen because they fit a holotype. Then, later when a publisher gains the ability to generate a model from AI whole cloth that fits the same holotype that they own it could cause some real problems.

Outstanding how you put the pieces together, btw! Nice work!

[Celerity]

4. Are AI-generated fashion models the future? (from mid 2023)

https://sineadbovell.substack.com/

Sinead Bovell is a futurist and the founder of tech education company, WAYE.
An organization that prepares businesses and the next generation of leaders for a future shaped by advanced technologies.

https://www.sineadbovell.com/

Sinead advises C-suite executives and senior leadership across governments, global corporations, and startups alike, with a core focus on emerging and exponential technologies and their implications for economic and national security, as well as long-term business strategy and model adaptation. She is an 11-time United Nations speaker and has delivered formal addresses to presidents, royalty, and Fortune 500 leaders on topics ranging from synthetic biology to artificial intelligence. She currently serves as an expert advisor to the United Nations AI Advisory Body, focusing on the future of work and AI’s long-term trajectory.

Sinead is one of the most sought-after voices on artificial intelligence and the future of education. She has advised over 17,000 educators, government officials, and policymakers worldwide on redesigning education for the age of AI and emerging technologies. Her recent talk at SXSW on AI and the Future of Education was accredited by the Association of Texas Professional Educators for a CPE credit.

Sinead is a member of the Bretton Woods Committee, where she contributes to strengthening multilateral systems to address 21st-century global challenges. She is also a regular tech commentator for platforms such as CNN, NBC, and CTV, where she discusses the societal impact of emerging technologies.

Sinead was named one of the top 50 voices shaping the future by Afrotech, she received the Mozilla Rise 25 award for her work in championing the development of open and responsible AI ecosystems, and she was dubbed the AI educator for the non-nerds by Vogue magazine. Before founding WAYE, Sinead earned her MBA from the University of Toronto and worked as a management consultant at A.T. Kearney. Sinead holds a bachelor’s degree in finance with a minor in chemistry.

[Ms. Toad]

6. The AI model looks a lot like Kate Upton, in the same sense that all skinny, blue-eyed blonde with highlights models

look alike.

[highplainsdem]

7. Much closer resemblance than that. I did some googling to verify that some other people had

noticed the resemblance. I'd noticed it immediately. I don't think it was unnoticed by the people at Guess, who might even have requested an Upton lookalike.

[Ms. Toad]

8. Not really.

I don't see a lot of resemblance beyond the three things I mentioned.

[highplainsdem]

10. You already said that, and I said that I immediately saw the resemblance to Upton, and others

posting online have, too. I saw a few references to Denise Richards and to an Upton/Richards combination.

But Richards didn't model for Guess.

Upton did, and they hate her for speaking out about Marciano.

There's no way the resemblance to Upton is accidental.

[Ms. Toad]

12. The resemblance isn't accidental -

That look is the current standard for beauty - which is both one of the reasons for Upton's marketability and the selection of the AI image.

[tulipsandroses]

9. If that is what they did, that is beyond creepy and weird. Do people have to put a patent on their looks now?

I wonder what the legal ramifications are for creating AI images that look like someone for profit.

[highplainsdem]

11. I agree, and I wouldn't be surprised if she sues.