Technological Advancement is Damaging the Fashion Industry
Will Artificial Intelligence become the new manufacturing norm?
Innovations within manufacturing technology has come very far, with implementations of fully automated sewing robots and self-learning artificial intelligence that can provide a more personalized shopping experience or personalized manufacturing to the consumer’s needs. While this is great for the fashion industry’s efficiency and cost of production, these innovations in automated machinery and artificial intelligence has ruined the integrity of the fashion. With many companies transitioning over into “lights-out” manufacturing and 3-D printing of garments, this has damaged the workforce of the fashion manufacturing industry as well as the integrity of the industry; therefore fully automated manufacturing has made the industry lose its touch with consumers due to the constant production of new and large amounts of garments to be sold.
Artificial Intelligence’s Effects
With artificial intelligence becoming one of the most important aspects in technological growth it is a given that companies would try to implement it into every aspect they can. Specifically in the fashion industry companies are constantly trying to find ways to innovate the consumer shopping experience, and the manufacturing process. “Lights-out” manufacturing is the term used when a production line is completely automated to the point where you can turn the lights completely off and manufacturing of products can continue without an issue. This is what many companies strive to achieve because production can essentially be continuous without any need for breaks because the production line is comprised of only automated machinery. While this is a fantastic way of cutting costs of wages and increasing productivity, it takes away many job opportunities and takes away the handmade feel to garments that are being produced.
With the introduction of automated sewing bots in large scale company’s manufacturing facilities like Adidas, this seems to be the way manufacturing is moving.
“Once garments are conceived, their production can also be automated. While handmade, one-off pieces may always be perceived as higher value, the coming of so-called “sewbots” — or automated sewing machines — could drastically reduce the need for human garment workers.” — How Automation Is Reshaping Fashion, The Atlantic
Automation takes away an entire job that a pair of human hands can do even if automated machines have little to no errors while producing garments it damages the economy if automation becomes widespread which causes a large amounts of job layoffs in factories. Many countries that rely on factory manufacturing work from companies overseas consequently lose their jobs to robots. While the argument of it being beneficial to the industry due to this stopping the high amounts of child labour in overseas factories the companies that do not participate in these foul practices will still have to let many hard working people go. This will lead to having no need for human hands in any part of the manufacturing process of garments, only having human contribution in the conception of the garment idea and even that is being threatened. With many companies choosing efficiency and cost cutting over quality human hands, the integrity of designing is no longer there.
Not having to even have a human move the fabrics during or between sewing operations undoubtedly leaves no need for a human to be involved during garment manufacturing whatsoever. This will lead to having absolutely no need for any human labour besides during the creative process of garment creation. In short, having the ability to produce garments at a high rate without the need of human labour will very much take away opportunities for other companies to create and manufacture at the same rates to compete with companies using these new automation methods.
“SoftWear Automation, an Atlanta-based robotics company focused on sewing, uses a combination of a table and manipulator arms with end effectors to move fabrics both during and between sewing operations.” — Artificial Intelligence for Fashion: How AI is Revolutionizing the Fashion Industry.
Using AI to provide almost on-demand production will most certainly take away any form of creative process in creating new garments and styles. While on-demand production seems like a great idea and good for consumers, it destroys fashion’s place as an art-form and creative outlet. Allowing more personalization of garments will most definitely cater to many everyday consumers but this will take away from designers being creative and using their minds to create garments that they actually want to create. We will no longer see designers create garments out of passion and love for the art and everyone will just want their exact needs to be catered too in regard to new apparel. Even though this will be a good way to reduce excess waste throughout the manufacturing process, this damages the integrity of fashion as an artform and will continue to reduce its place as a creative outlet. The potential in technological advancements is at such a high rate that there is essentially limitless potential in what a robots and artificial intelligence will be able to accomplish in the manufacturing field.
Looking into the future…
I believe that automation and artificial intelligence has already begun the downfall of the integrity of fashion industry, we do not know what the future will hold but we do know that companies are moving towards more robotics as opposed to hand-made apparel. 10 years from now I believe that we will see most worldwide known companies utilizing fully automated “lights-out” manufacturing methods but people within the fashion industry should try to fight this drastic change. The best solution to these problems is for more designers to independently create garments and push their human made apparel to combat big brand name companies from changing the landscape of fashion manufacturing forever. There is still time to keep classic manufacturing practices in place before automation becomes too widely accessible for any company to invest in this type of machinery, but whether or not this is a possibility is hard to say. Companies are always looking for the next innovation they can implement into their infrastructure to grow with the least amount of money spent.
