The rise of AI in fashion: job cuts in photography and styling are already happening—here’s the timeline of the industry’s transformation

The Rapid Transformation of Fashion Industry Jobs Through AI Innovation

The landscape of fashion industry roles is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence technology. From photography to personal styling, AI is increasingly taking over tasks traditionally performed by humans, signaling a future where adaptation is essential for professionals in the field.

A Closer Look at the Recent AI-Driven Milestones

In just the past six months, the pace of AI integration into fashion has accelerated dramatically. Here’s a timeline highlighting some of the most significant developments:

• January 2025: The startup Botika secures $8 million in funding. Their AI-powered fashion models are already replacing human photographers for smaller brands, streamlining production and reducing costs (source).

• May 2025: Doji raises $14 million to develop AI-generated avatars that enable social sharing of virtual try-ons, similar to popular TikTok formats (source). Simultaneously, Google introduces “AI Mode,” expanding virtual try-on capabilities to billions of products across its platform (source).

• Two Weeks Ago: Alta secures $11 million to roll out a comprehensive AI stylist replacing traditional personal stylists entirely, marking a significant shift in the fashion styling landscape (source).

• Two Days Ago: FASHN AI launches a hyper-realistic virtual try-on model with high-resolution visuals, eliminating the need for human models in styling images (source).

• Today: Google Doppl is officially live, utilizing AI to generate animated videos of avatars wearing different outfits, delivering fully automated motion-based styling content (source).

A Noticeable Surge in Investment and Innovation

Over the past six months