UK-based lifestyle and fashion magazine Sheerluxe has faced a backlash following the expansion of its AI “influencer” team to promote skincare and clothing brands.
Three new AI influencers join AI fashion and lifestyle editor Reem, who was initially launched in 2024. Her Instagram bio now describes her as “AI tastemaker & broadcaster”.
Comments on Sheerluxe’s Instagram post announcing the AI “hires” have accused the brand of creating “rage bait to gain comments” and going “a step too far”.
Future acquired Sheerluxe for around £40m in January, with the company noting its “Gen Z-skewed audience” will bring “valuable new reach to the Future ecosystem”.
The fashion and beauty website has a daily email newsletter with 650,000 subscribers, a video channel across Instagram, Tiktok and Youtube and also publishes a twice-weekly podcast. With more than two million social media followers, the publisher makes money from e-commerce and by creating native marketing content for brands.
Its four AI influencers, as announced on Instagram, include Reem, providing tips on style (3,725 followers at the time of writing), Gigi (855 followers), overseeing skin care routine and beauty product tips, Eden (907 followers), sharing advice on “navigating the modern workplace”, and Brooke (1,675 followers), who gives tips on “chic-styling ideas” and “travel inspiration”.
Each influencer engages in paid partnerships with fashion and beauty brands, posting videos modelling clothes and make up to sell to audiences.
The usernames all include the word “bot” – for example, gigibot__ – and the posts all include the disclaimer “these images were created using AI tools”.
[Read more: More fake and AI generated experts con their way into media]
Sustainable fashion ambassador and model Brett Staniland created an Instagram video in response to the announcement, saying: “AI slop of the week and a complete waste of natural resources, Sheerluxe have created four AI generated bots. They actually did this two years ago to no one’s delight with the Reem bot.”
He added the “weird move” suggested to Sheerluxe’s employees “that they’re all completely replaceable”, while also “alienating” audiences.
Speaking to The Times, he said: “It tells me that they haven’t listened to their readership… It doesn’t stop with AI models. Influencers will be next and then it will carry on… While I’m glad literally everyone hates it, Sheerluxe now have to decide whether to listen to their audience or carry on with their AI avatars, who will be able to work more and churn shoppable links way more than any real person.”
The video announcement on Sheerluxe’s Instagram page was also deluged with negative feedback, including:
Thepascaleedit: “This is not what I want my daughter’s future to be! A group of size 6/8 AI avatars telling them what beauty standards are. One of them even recommends skincare and makeup…how can she recommend products she can’t physically try?! This is a step too far, hire real women of different sizes and pay them a wage rather then resorting to this weird madness!!”
Wearsmymoney: “At this point I think this can only be rage bait to gain comments. Literally nobody wants this.”
Emmybeaton: “How can I opt out of this AI content? If it’s going to be mixed in with other sheer luxe I’m going to have to opt out of it all….”
Amymaeve_: “People were disappointed by this the first time so why would you do it again but add 3 more AI influencers. Just use real people…”
Move created ‘three new human roles’
Sheerluxe has responded to the backlash with claims the move created “three new human roles” to enable the experimentation with the new technology.
Georgie Coleridge Cole, CEO and founder at Sheerluxe, said in a direct message to Staniland: “No additional human/influencer roles would be available if SheerLuxe Lab did not exist. The AI role employees would be redundant. However, I hope you got some traction and some new followers from your post.”
In a comment to Press Gazette, Coleridge Cole said: “We’re a proudly people-led brand, and part of building a modern media business is being willing to experiment responsibly with new technologies that are already reshaping creativity, media and commerce.
“Like many brands, we’re exploring where AI tools may be useful and what role they may play in creative storytelling.
“Human creativity, editorial judgment and trusted voices remain at the heart of Sheerluxe and always will. This work, which has introduced new roles and skillsets within our business, is not about replacing the people who define our brand, but about understanding how new technology can support creativity while continuing to invest in the talent and community that make Sheerluxe what it is.”
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