By: Camila Rua/ Translated by: Leidy Rachen

Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, the dynamics of writing, creating, and working have changed. For many, this application was the first contact with artificial intelligence (AI), thus bringing closer a field that, until now, seemed far away. From there, the presence of AI in mobile apps or platforms spread and, therefore, its use for different activities, from planning a trip to answering corporate emails, became popular.

Fashion and clothing design have not escaped influence by these changes, but as a relatively new tool, there's still much to explore and learn about. To clarify and deepen the use of AI in clothing design and sustainable fashion, we asked some questions to Quetzal Ramos, an industrial and product designer specialized in shoe design, and a mentor in our Fashion Visionary course. 

How can AI be used for clothing design?

With AI, you can generate new designs from trend data, analyze consumption patterns to predict trends, and customize clothes according to consumer preferences. In addition, it allows you to generate garments in 3D, optimize the choice of materials, and automate the design of patterns. It also facilitates the classification of styles by computer vision and contributes to sustainability by optimizing the supply chain and avoiding overproduction.

What are the advantages of using AI for more sustainable fashion?

Again, it offers several advantages, such as optimizing the supply chain, reducing waste, and improving production efficiency. It can also predict demand much better, avoiding issues of overproduction and excess inventory. In addition, AI can analyze the life cycle of products to choose greener and more sustainable materials, as well as identify opportunities to reuse or recycle garments, which contributes to reducing the environmental impact of the industry.

How to face the fears and dangers of AI for the creative industries?

By informing ourselves. Facing something is easier when you know it than when you ignore it. The fashion industry is super competitive like any other, in that sense, you have to constantly educate yourself so you can face the constant changes that come your way. 

How to use AI ethically for design?

Carefully informed so that you can use them with restraint and balance. Any tool consumes resources, so if you know better how to use them, you can get better and faster results, and you will also be aware of their effects. So, without fear of being redundant, you have to be informed. In addition, all the tools have their terms and conditions, so do not think you are going to do whatever you want just for the sake of it. 

What problems for the environment does the use of AI represent?

One of the main problems is the high energy consumption associated with training AI models, especially deep learning models, which require large amounts of electricity to process huge volumes of data. This can contribute to higher greenhouse gas emissions if the energy comes from non-renewable sources. In addition, the manufacture and arrangement of the devices that support the AI infrastructure (such as servers and processors) generate electronic waste. 

One of the negative impacts of AI is related to its storage. So, how to measure and take into account the environmental costs of AI in sustainable fashion design?

It is key to optimize energy consumption using renewable energy and make algorithms more efficient to reduce processing. In addition, you must manage data storage efficiently, minimize the amount of information stored, and choose lightweight AI models. It is important to consider the durability and recyclability of the infrastructure used, measure the carbon footprint of the systems, reuse the equipment, and adopt recycling practices, which will allow for balancing innovation with sustainability. I am also sure that, from an economic point of view, these measures are important for companies since they are working to save resources that can be reflected in higher profits for them.

What kind of policies and/or restrictions do you consider necessary for AI to be a tool to help design and the environment?

To begin with, I think it is already a helpful tool. You can achieve in seconds, things that would take several hours, days, or even weeks or months. In this sense, it is disproportionate to compare 15 seconds of work with weeks of it. What do you think consumes more resources? As I said before, any action involves the use of these, so I think it is best to utilize AI with balance and constantly pay attention, because you can lose the essence of your work among so many options. As for restrictions, this is a complex issue; you cannot control what millions of users seek to bring to a visible plane (no matter how rare their ideas may be), and many times, they seek only their benefit. In addition, each tool has its own restrictions. 

If you have the opportunity to raise awareness and share knowledge, please do it, so we will have an informed and (probably) more empathetic community that can make better decisions in any area.