An AI-powered Model Agency Will Be Worth More Than ALL Traditional Model Agencies Combined

Introduction

An AI-powered modeling agency will be worth more than the combined value of all existing traditional modeling agencies. An agency leveraging AI can create perfect models, meeting the exact needs of clients in terms of skin tone, body shape, weight and much more.

Whether you need a person of color with an afro and a symmetrical face; a Russian model with a symmetrical face; or someone with imperfections to meet specific criteria, AI-powered modeling agencies can deliver.

In this article, I will discuss how a single AI-powered modeling agency could surpass the combined value of all traditional modeling agencies. I will also discuss how the current landscape of AI is being used in the modelling industry and how it will be used in the future.

Curious about the process AI-powered modeling agencies use to create their models? Here's an article I published which covers how to train a Stable Diffusion model to output realistic AI-generated photos of anyone.

The Current Landscape

AI is already applied across almost every industry, including modeling, with considerable capacity. As I have previously mentioned in another article I have published, which covers the process you can use to replace a professional photographer and the process AI-powered Model Agencies use to create realistic models, Lalaland, an AI-powered model agency, recently raised $2.6M USD in a pre-Series A funding round at approximately a $12M Valuation and is in Google's accelerator program.

What Lalaland has done is create a service which creates AI-generated models using the technique (or something very similar) that I explained in the article I mentioned above which covers the process used to create models that are indistinguishable from a real person.

Another company, similar to Lalaland, named ZMO AI also raised $8M in a Series A round last year. ZMO AI aims to offer garment modelling without 3D renders of products. So, it is clear that some people see a demand here; it is just about how these companies execute and create products that properly deliver outcomes enticing brands from here on out.

Why AI-powered Modelling Is The Future

To understand why AI-powered modeling is the future, it's essential to first comprehend the pain points associated with traditional modeling. Currently, traditional modeling requires hiring a team for the shoot, renting a studio, coordinating models' schedules (often flying top models from different countries for shoots), paying everyone, and hoping the resulting photos meet expectations.

In this whole situation, there are many elements that take weeks to orchestrate and many things which are just out of your control, like a model being sick. With an AI-powered modelling agency, model photos can be generated in 30 minutes from their computer by one person giving context to what they want with 3D renders of their product (or, in ZMO AI's example, with just a photo of the product you want your AI Models to feature).

The Numbers Don't Lie

According to Accenture’s report, AI: Built to Scale, 84 percent of business executives across the board believe they need to use AI to achieve their growth objectives. Additionally, the report found that three out of four C-suite executives believe that if they don't scale AI in the next five years, their businesses risk shutting down entirely.

IBM released a report showing that 44 percent of companies plan to make substantial investments in AI and integrate it into their businesses. And of the 9,130 patents received by IBM inventors in 2021, 2,300 were AI-related.

The Future Landscape

You can expect projects like Adept AI but for modelling to appear and disrupt the landscape. As we move towards a future with more AI, people will gradually recognize more of its potential, similar to what we have already observed with GPT-3 and GPT-4. Adept AI's goal is to create an AI teammate that can use any software and any API. They have recently raised $350M from Spark Capital and General Catalyst at a valuation exceeding $1 billion; with Nvidia and Microsoft also participating as investors.

Conclusion

The immense benefits of AI-powered modeling for both companies and individuals seeking more photos of themselves make it an appealing option. With AI, there is no need to rent a studio, pay a photographer to orchestrate a shoot, or fly in top-tier models from other countries.

AI allows you to get the precise model you want with specific skin tone, body shape, hair, and more; producing rendered model shots in minutes at a cost of $20 instead of $20,000. Thus, an AI-powered modeling agency that successfully disrupts the industry is likely to be worth more than all traditional agencies combined.

While traditional modeling may continue to exist in some capacity, considering the pros and cons of in-person modeling, I expect many companies to adapt their businesses to leverage the benefits of AI further as it becomes more mainstream.