AI in Fashion: The Timeline of Job Losses for Fashion Photographers and Virtual Stylists

The Rapid Evolution of Fashion Technology: AI’s Increasing Domination

The fashion industry is experiencing a seismic shift, driven by groundbreaking advancements in artificial intelligence. Traditional roles — from photographers and stylists to creative directors — are swiftly being overshadowed by automation and virtual solutions. Here’s a detailed timeline illustrating just how quickly these changes are unfolding:

A Week’s Snapshot of Transformative Milestones

January 2025: AI Modeling Reshapes Photography
In early 2025, Botika secured $8 million in funding, enabling AI-generated fashion models to replace human photographers for smaller brands almost instantly. This development signals the beginning of an inevitable shift in visual content creation. Read more

May 2025: Virtual Try-Ons Go Social and Viral
Shortly after, Doji attracted $14 million to develop AI-driven avatars capable of social sharing, mimicking TikTok’s viral style. Simultaneously, Google announced “AI Mode,” rolling out virtual try-on features for billions of products, making online shopping more immersive than ever. Details here | Google’s update

Two Weeks Ago: Full-Stack AI Styling
Alta raised $11 million to launch a comprehensive AI stylist platform, effectively replacing traditional stylist roles and streamlining personal styling experiences with automation. More info

Two Days Ago: Hyper-Realistic Virtual Models
FASHN AI released a high-resolution (1MP) virtual try-on model capable of generating stunningly lifelike images, removing the need for human models in commercial styling. See the innovation

Today: Dynamic Video Generation
Most recently, Google’s Doppl platform launched, enabling AI to produce animated videos of virtual avatars wearing outfits effortlessly, bringing automation into motion. [Explore the tool](