On Tuesday July 31, Dove hosted and invited journalists, content creators and AI experts to an exclusive launch of their ‘Real Beauty Generation’ AI tool in Parktown North near Rosebank.

The launch took place at Momo gallery, with guests being the first ones to interact with the AI tool. Accompanied by a panel discussion that had conversations surrounding AI’s perception of beauty and how it has had mostly a negative impact on how beauty is viewed today. As well as a live demonstration of how the tool will help shape beauty content and ensure that they mitigate the threat of AI.

In the panel of speakers was broadcaster and media personality Hulisani Ravele as the host, author and technology journalist Arthur Goldstuck, designer and founder of Digital Girl Africa, Ian Mangenga, Glamour magazine’s senior features editor Thobeka Phanyeko, Dove’s masterbrand marketing manager, Lerato Dumisa as well as Integrative wellbeing strategist, Zuraida Jardine.

Dove is re-committing themselves to championing the use of authentic and undistorted images of women in its campaigns. This is a pledge that was taken 20 years ago when they launched the worldwide Real Beauty campaign aiming to build self-confidence in women and young children.

Dove’s Masterbrand Marketing Manager, Lerato Dumisa said that Dove has taken this strong stance because according to the study it did at the beginning of this year, “2 in 5 women globally would give up a year of their lives to be able to achieve their beauty ideals and 1 in 3 women feel pressured to change their appearance because of artificial beauty”.

The rise of AI poses a serious threat to realistic beauty standards, a staggering statistic was provided by AI experts who estimate that about 90% of online content will be AI (artificial intelligence) generated, by 2026. That is why Dove’s message remains very clear and very simple, “Keep Beauty Real”.

The Dove Real Beauty generation AI tool is the brand’s way to increase human touch into AI’s database. It recognises that as advanced as AI is and can still be, it still requires human beings to programme and put in what they want it to put out. And it is through this tool that it intends to show that AI can and should be trained.

When asked if he believes AI is teachable, Goldstuck said, “The very nature of generative AI is that it has to be trained, the more you train it the better it gets. It’s very much trainable.”

Dumisa added that the aim of Dove’s innovative new AI tool is to ensure that diversity and inclusivity is still a significant part of the beauty content that is put out, even when it is through the lens of AI.

As a beauty brand, they have the responsibility to try and curb the biases that exist within beauty representation in AI and if they get as many regular, everyday women to participate in the tool, then they would have played their part in ensuring diversity and inclusivity as well as an accurate representation of beauty in the media.

“We want to make sure that each and every woman and young girl sees themselves even through the landscapes of AI because that’s how you instil confidence,” Dumisa said.

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