That AI (Artificial Intelligence) is a hot topic these days is a fact. All over the globe, everyone is talking about it. Many new opportunities to use this smart tool are coming along, also within the denim industry. The first AI-generated samples and collections are shown already at trade shows, and it seems that this is just the start of this innovative technology. A question that is asked by many is how will this continue, and how will it affect the denim industry. Although the possibilities seem endless, there are also negative sides to this revolution. As some people think it will take over many industries, it is a question if this will happen. Some parts of the chain will be affected, but the creative part of the whole process will also be controlled by real people. Human beings. People that are foresight with their visions, groundbreaking ideas, and new ways of how to take care of certain things. Denim designers who take new routes.

THE PROS AND CONS OF AI (ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE) Before going more into detail, let’s sum up a few of the pros and cons of AI (Artificial Intelligence). Pros • It will reduce human errors. • Speeds up processes that used to take longer time (means more time for other tasks). • Limiting risks as you know faster the outcome. • AI solves problems we can’t fix so quickly. • Digital assistance with just one push of the button. • Easy access to new breakthroughs. Cons • AI needs lots of data that needs to be provided by real people. • It will lose skills in humans, and they will also get lazy. • The absence of empathy as it is all data-driven. It will also not explain the outcome. • A lack of creativity as the outcome is based on the input. • It can cause job losses or displacement in the end

HOW IT WORKED BACK IN THE DAY Back in the day, denim designers were making drawings with pencils on paper, and they also used clippings from magazines. These rips from magazines were used to create a mood board to shape a sort of image, a starting point for a new collection. Together with reference samples that were bought in stores and flea markets, they went to denim mills to select the right denim fabrics. And so the process started to give an overall idea of new denim collections. Nowadays, most denim designers skip the first steps and work mostly on computers to create the first impression of a collection. They use images that are searched online and use programs to put everything together nicely in a presentation. Then the denim fabric selection will follow and the kick-off will be made. Of course, some denim designers start with selecting a certain fabric and then ideas pop up to develop a whole collection around it. But, in overall steps, this is how the process is going, still…

AI IS A POWERFUL TOOL Creating denim collections with AI is a very helpful tool, to work faster or to get new ideas. Knowing that it's a super innovative tool to use to speed up a process, especially in the beginning when you’re in the experimental creation phase. You will see very quickly how a certain designed item can look like. You can tweak it fast and make the first sample when you think it’s ready to go. So, this means less expenses on sample costs for example.

IT WILL NOT REPLACE DENIM DESIGNERS IN THE FUTURE You have to keep in mind that AI needs input from human beings in the first place. When you only put garbage into AI the outcome will also be garbage. The good thing about AI is that it can analyze data in a split second, much faster compared to human beings. And they can also connect data way much faster. We can teach computers to see, speak, act and hear, but it's the creative mind of a denim designer that will be in control. They put things together to get something done that you have in mind. It’s not the other way around. Especially when you want to achieve something that has never been done before, something new, unique, and out of the box. Something denim designers are all aiming for as you can’t manipulate a creative mind, right?!