“It’s Over”: ‘Vogue’ Features Its First-Ever AI Model in a Guess Ad, Sparking Outrage

With the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in nearly every professional industry, many have wondered if the technological phenomenon would do what humans have feared all along: take our jobs. Within the entertainment industry, specifically in movie and music studios, AI actors, singers, and rappers have been created. In 2022, Capitol Records made history as the first music label to sign an AI-generated rapper, FN Meka.

The fashion and beauty world also utilizes AI to create virtual influencers, making the field even more difficult to break into. Multiple influencer hopefuls are now competing with the AI creations of influencers like Lil Miquela and Emily Pellegrini.

The idea of AI models being involved in fashion campaigns was another concept that concerned those in the fashion industry, but they never thought it would happen, at least not in mainstream publications like Vogue. Boy, were they wrong.

Keep scrolling to see what I mean.

Vogue and Guess received criticism after the esteemed outlet's August 2025 print issue surfaced. The issue featured a two-page ad of an AI model posing in Guess clothing in two different locations. The first photo showed the model wearing a striped dress and a matching purse. Another featured her wearing a floral romper and jewelry while sitting outside. The spread also included a disclaimer that the model is AI-generated in the corner of the ad: "Produced by Seraphinne Vallora on AI."

According to the BBC, Vogue confirmed the AI model wasn't an editorial decision; the choice to feature the model sparked multiple negative comments by the legendary fashion outlet's supporters. Several users claimed they were ending their Vogue subscriptions over the matter, while other users, such as TikTok creator @yazzyrogers, pointed out how Vogue's implementation of AI in its issue could give other outlets permission to follow suit.

"Vogue putting AI models in their magazine… yeah, it's over," one user said on X (formerly Twitter).

"So many models wanting to appear in Vogue, only for them to end up using AI models," another wrote.

"Had to end the Vogue magazine subscription I’ve had for years because the latest magazine used AI models??? In Vogue? AI models in Vogue?" a third user stated.

In addition to Vogue's consumers threatening to part ways with the publication for featuring Guess's AI-generated ad in its issue, real-life models have also shared their grievances. Plus-size model Felicity Hayward, who has been in the fashion industry as a print and runway model since 2011, said the campaign "feels lazy and cheap" and said Vogue's decision to include the ad was "very disheartening and quite scary."

Felicity noted that the use of AI in the modeling industry could harm the work she and other models with diverse identities, including models of color and those within the LGBTQ+ community, have done to make the industry more inclusive. She shared that multiple models with these identities aren't booking jobs, and fashion brands and publications turning to AI is "another kick in the teeth, and one that will disproportionately affect plus-size models."

Despite concerns from professional models, the creator of the Guess ad, Seraphinne Vallora, defended the ad on Instagram, stating that it was created by an AI-driven marketing agency founded by Calentina Gonzalez and Andreea Petrescu. In a lengthy post, the company declared "real work" was done to create the ad, and it hopes to create jobs for fashion professionals, including models.

"This is complex work," the agency wrote. "And funnily enough, we actually hire photographers and models as part of our workflow & we understand people may think Al will be replacing jobs, but in reality, it’s just like any other tool in the design industry and it CREATES jobs, because this images are Al-Driven but made by HUMANS, CREATIVES AND DESIGNER."

Love it or hate it, AI is definitely in Vogue, at least for now.