Fashion house Valentino criticised over 'disturbing' AI handbag ads
36 minutes ago Share Save Liv McMahon Technology reporter Share Save
Getty Images
Italian luxury fashion house Valentino is facing criticism after posting "disturbing" adverts made using artificial intelligence (AI) for one of its luxury handbags online. The brand announced a collaboration with digital artists as part of what it dubbed a "digital creative project" promoting its new DeVain handbag. But an AI-generated advert it posted on Instagram has been met with intense criticism from fans, who called the visuals - and use of AI - "sloppy" and "sad". The BBC has approached Valentino for comment.
The Instagram post promoting the handbag, which has a label to say it was made using AI, shows a "surreal" collage of models spliced between Valentino logos and its DeVain bag. At one point it shows models seemingly emerge from an ornate gold version of the handbag. At another, the brand's logo transforms into people's arms, before these morph into a coalescing swirl of bodies. Among hundreds of comments left on Valentino's Instagram video on Monday were many criticising its AI use as "cheap" and "lazy". "Disappointing from a couture fashion house," wrote one user responding to the video on Instagram. "Advertising campaigns are an opportunity to put talented creatives centre stage. AI in this instance is lazy at best." Others called on the company's marketing department to "read the room", likened the content to "AI slop" and accused the company of "rage-baiting".
'Creative possibilities'