Dove Pledges Against
AI-Generated Imagery for “Real Bodies” in Ads

Dove Pledges Against AI-Generated Imagery for "Real Bodies" in Ads

Dove, renowned for its two-decade-long campaign celebrating “real bodies,” announced a new initiative in response to advancements in artificial intelligence. The beauty brand declared it would never use AI-generated imagery to depict “real bodies” in its advertising, choosing instead to continue using real photos of women while also promoting more diverse AI-generated images.

This decision sets Dove apart as most industries embrace AI technology, integrating tools like AI chatbots and AI-generated media. Dove, is one of the first major brands to suggest AI-generated media can be harmful. In its pledge, Dove also released a “playbook” to help consumers of generative AI tools create more diverse and realistic images. The company showcased AI-generated photos depicting real women more accurately but labelled them as AI to highlight the potential for the technology to be less harmful to body image and self-esteem.

Dove’s move follows its 2004 initiative that revealed less than 2% of women considered themselves beautiful. By featuring unedited, underrepresented bodies in advertising, Dove played a significant role in the body positivity movement of the 2010s. Recent surveys of over 33,000 people in 20 countries revealed that more than one in three respondents felt pressured to alter their appearance due to online content. In response, Dove’s latest ads compare idealized AI-generated images with more realistic depictions, aiming to challenge and improve the impact of AI on body image perceptions.

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