Doves latest Real Beauty drive and why AI will be harder to ditch than it thinks [Video]

Beauty brand Dove recently announced it would not use models generated by artificial intelligence (AI) in its advertising campaigns. But is this really an anti-AI stance or merely the marketing of “inclusive” and “realistic” AI-generated images? In other words, is Dove attempting to shape the beauty ideals AI shows consumers, rather than ditching its use entirely?

Dove’s owner Unilever is one of the world’s largest multinational, fast-moving consumer goods companies. But the values of the brands it owns vary dramatically, as highlighted by legal action that Ben & Jerry’s brought against Unilever to object to its ice cream being “sold in the occupied Palestinian Territory”. The lawsuit was settled and Ben & Jerry’s was reportedly told by Unilever to avoid “straying into geopolitics”.

Tensions remain between the values of Unilever-owned brands and those of Unilever itself, which actively uses AI in areas like product development.

For example, although Dove has critiqued the use of AI and …