Dove has launched a new campaign called The Code, which reflects the impact of AI on beauty and sheds light on “the importance of women having the power to see real beauty reflected in new and emerging media.” According to the brand the outsized value society places on appearance has intensified the pressure to be a certain type of beautiful.
In its 2024 The Real State of Beauty: a global report, Dove found that 4 in 10 women (42%) in Canada would give up at least a year of their life to achieve their beauty ideals. The study found that while beauty ideals have evolved over the years to be more inclusive across race, orientation, gender, and size, the checklist of appearance ideals is growing and impossible to meet – from looking healthy (81%) to also being slim (74%) and having a small waist (71%) while also being curvy (57%).
The study additionally found that almost 8 in 10 Canadian women (84%) and girls (87%) say they have been exposed to harmful beauty content on social media. One of the biggest threats to the representation of real beauty is Artificial Intelligence. With 90% of the content online expected to be AI-generated by 2025, the rise of AI is a threat to women’s wellbeing, with 2 in 5 women (43%) and girls (43%) feeling pressure to alter their appearance because of what they see online, even when they know it’s fake or AI generated.
While AI has the potential to foster creativity and access to beauty, almost half of women (48%) and girls (51%) feel they can create different versions of themselves using AI and avatars in video games/VR but believe it can have a negative impact on how they view themselves.
To help set new digital standards of representation, Dove has created the Real Beauty Prompt Guidelines – easy to use guidance on how to create images that are more representative of Real Beauty.
“At Dove, we seek a future in which women get to decide and declare what real beauty looks like – not algorithms,” said Alessandro Manfredi, Chief Marketing Officer, Dove.
“As we navigate the opportunities and challenges that come with new and emerging technology, we remain committed to protect, celebrate, and champion Real Beauty. Pledging to never use AI in our communications is just one step. We will not stop until beauty is a source of happiness, not anxiety, for every woman and girl.”
