Navigating the ethical pitfalls of artificial intelligence
A recent Microsoft event showcased the wonder of virtually fitting clothes for size and raised broader questions of data safety
Imagine trying on your clothes virtually via a mobile app before making the purchase. Artificial intelligence (AI) will doubtless soon make this a reality, allowing you to skip the queues and cut out the hassle of returning stuff, which has become synonymous with online shopping. Matthew Drinkwater, director of the London College of Fashion’s Innovation Agency, told a Microsoft conference in Paris recently that the agency had conducted a trial with a luxury scarf designer in 2016 in which clients were able to try on the scarves virtually. "Are consumers ready to virtually try products on? In this case it didn’t happen that much," he admitted. But what they did do was try on the scarf virtually and then go out to the retailer to buy one. "At the moment we can very accurately scan the face, and within the next six to 12 months we will be able to do that for the body. What will this mean for fashion?" he asks. And what will it mean for personal data security? What are the pitfalls of t...
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