Dove has made a groundbreaking commitment: it will never use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to represent women in its advertising. This bold stance comes as Dove celebrates the 20th anniversary of its revolutionary “Campaign for Real Beauty.”
Launched in 2004, the campaign featured images of women of diverse ages, shapes, backgrounds, and sizes, none of whom were professional models. Over the years, Dove has raised global awareness about the harmful effects of unrealistic beauty standards through media initiatives, The Dove Self-Esteem Project, and extensive research.
Recently, Dove conducted a new study to gauge the current state of beauty perceptions around the world. The findings revealed that while beauty ideals have become more inclusive regarding gender, race, and size, new appearance-based pressures have emerged. Notably, ideals such as “looking healthy” (76%), “being slim” (68%), “looking young” (66%), “having a small waist” (64%), and “being curvy” (57%) have gained prominence. Two out of three respondents believe that women today face greater pressure to be physically attractive than their mothers did. Furthermore, 8 in 10 women (79%) reported that they wished the media did a better job of portraying women of diverse physical attractiveness
A whole Chapter 4 of the report was about the impact of technology, particularly AI. It predicts that by 2025, 90% of online content will be AI-generated. This matters because one in three women feels pressured to alter their appearance based on what they see online, even when they know it's AI-generated. Dove is on a mission to ensure that generative AI doesn’t undo decades of positive gains in beauty inclusivity and representation.
Dove’s commitment to ethical advertising is a powerful statement in an era where AI is becoming increasingly pervasive. By pledging never to use AI to represent women, Dove reinforces its dedication to authenticity and the well-being of its audience.
This move not only cements Dove's position as a leader in promoting real beauty but also sets a standard that many brands should aspire to follow.
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